


Hey There, Missouri

by Mamabug1981



Category: Louden Swain RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Aftercare, Anal Play, Blindfolds, Collars, Cuffs, Dom/sub, Edging, F/M, Light restraint, Mutual Masturbation, Muzzles, Nipple Clamps, Oral Sex, Overstimulation, Praise Kink, Semi-Public Nudity, Semi-Public Sex, Spanking, Vibrators, dom!Rob, sub!Reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 07:15:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 35,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13565538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mamabug1981/pseuds/Mamabug1981
Summary: You are called on to help Louden Swain out of a pickle, and invited to join the remainder of their tour.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rob is single in this one. I adore his family, and wherever they may or may not be in this world is up to you. Just know, there's no hate here.

Rob hung his head and turned away from the rental counter, pinching the bridge of his nose. How had this happened? He could have sworn he booked them a car, but he couldn’t find a confirmation email, and the rental company had no record of the reservation. And of course, it being a holiday weekend, all of the cars they had that were large enough to transport four grown men and their various gear were all leased out. He glanced up to see the rest of the band walking towards him from various directions, having gone to the other rental desks in desperate search of a car. Sliding his hands into his pockets and sighing, he realized they all looked just as dejected as he felt.

“Nothing? At all?” The band shook their heads.

“Great. Just… great. Ok. Well, let’s head down and grab our bags, and go from there, yeah?”

As they walked through the airport to baggage claim, they discussed how to get from Portland out to their gig on the Oregon coast. This was NOT how they had wanted to kick off their first west coast tour.

As they approached the carousels, Stephen piped up. “Hey! Doesn’t that one gal live here? The one that gave us the invite to coffee if we were ever in town?”

Rob’s eyes lit up. He grabbed his bag off the belt, rummaging through it for the packet of mail he’d picked up from his agent’s office on the way out of LA. “Stephen, you got that Snap from her awhile back, yeah? What was her name? If it’s the same person…”

As Stephen scrolled back through his Snapchat conversations, Rob found what he was looking for and pulled a birthday card out of his bag. The person he was thinking of had noted down both her Twitter handle and a number to text. He compared the card to Stephen’s Snapchat. Sure enough, the name matched up.

He tapped the card against his hand, contemplating. “Well, what do you guys think? Do we call her? If nothing else, she may know where we can get ahold of a car.”

“It beats spending the night in this airport and scrambling to make soundcheck tomorrow,” Mike pointed out.

Rob glanced around the rest of the band. “You’re all good with this?” They nodded. 

Stephen checked the time again. “Guys, let me drop her a message first. It’s pretty late, and even as desperate as we are, I don’t want to drag her out of bed just to ask about a car rental.” He pulled his phone back out of his pocket and pulled up Snapchat again. 

The guys waited patiently for a few moments, until he came back and nodded. “We’re good to go. Rob, still got that phone number out?”

“Yeah. Well, let’s hope this number is good for more than just text messages then. He typed the number in the card into his phone and hit the call button.

¬¬¬¬

 

You paused the Saturday Night Special video you were watching on YouTube as you noticed your phone screen light up with a new Snapchat notification. Glancing at the time in the bottom corner of your laptop screen, you wondered who would be Snapchatting you at 11pm on a Thursday night. The only person you could think of was your 15 year old daughter at her dad’s place, but she said she was headed for bed hours ago. Setting your laptop aside, you reached to unlock your phone, not paying much attention to the name on the lock screen notification. Once you got the app open and saw who it was though, you dropped your phone in shock and had to go scrambling after it.

_What the hell was Stephen Norton doing Snapchatting YOU of all people at 11 o’clock at night?_

You took a deep breath to calm your inner fangirl, and opened the message, half expecting some random, rambling drunk text meant for someone else.

\- **You still up?**

Well, that wasn’t exactly what you were expecting. Still…

\- **Um, yeah. Yeah, I am. What’s up? Are you sure I’m who you meant to message?**

\- **I think so? You’re the one that invited us for coffee if we were ever in town, right?**

 

You racked your brain, landing on the memory of the Snap you had sent him a few months earlier. You smiled remembering how he had responded to the invite with a simple thank you before saying you were sweet for the offer. You had sent it on the tail of a short conversation you’d had with him about some Louden Swain lyrics, never expecting him to actually take you up on it.

\- **Yeah, that’s me. So, you’re in town? Unfortunately, I don’t really know of any coffee shops open this time of night.**

\- **I don’t suppose you do. Actually, I have something else to ask you.**

 

\- **Yeah, sure, what’s up?**

\- **It’s kind of a long story. Can we just call you?**

 

_We? Who…_

Duh, of course. He was probably traveling with the rest of the band. You remembered they were kicking off their new tour with a stop out on the coast tomorrow night. Of course they’d fly through PDX. But what could they possibly have to ask you? But how did they get…? You closed your eyes, remembering the birthday card you’d sent Rob around the same time you had chatted with Stephen about the lyrics. You had extended the same coffee invite you had given Stephen, and included your phone number and Twitter handle, just in case. Again though, you never really expected him to actually USE the information. You took a deep breath and let it back out before responding.

\- **Yeah, sure. Go ahead.**

\- **Great! Just a sec!**

 

You slumped back in your chair, tapping your phone against your chin as you processed everything. Talking to Stephen on Snapchat, with the entire internet between you, was one thing. Talking to Louden freaking Swain on the phone with no filters between you? Your gut churned a bit with anxiety.

Before long, your phone rang. Noting the LA area code, you answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Hey.” The voice was familiar, but over the phone you couldn’t quite place it. Maybe it was Stephen? You hadn’t really heard him talk much.

“So. Sorry for bugging you so late. But Stephen said you were still up and that you said we could call and we’re in a bit of a pickle and you’re the only one we could contact locally and…”

Oh. That definitely wasn’t Stephen. How had you not recognized that rambling voice? That… that was… Your mind froze. You had had a massive crush on one Robert Patrick Benedict ever since your first Saturday Night Special concert. You never had been able to speak intelligibly or think clearly when faced with those crystal blue eyes or that smile after that. And now you had to be able to talk to him on the phone…

Shaking your head, you tuned back into the conversation. His voice was tinged with stress and exhaustion, and it was enough to clear your thinking.

“No, Rob, hey. It’s fine,” you finally interrupted him. “It’s ok. What do you guys need?”

He sighed. “Well, we were supposed to kick off our west coast tour tomorrow night. Our flight out of LA was delayed by three hours due to the heat and flight crew issues and God knows what else. Anyways, we finally got into Portland tonight, and apparently the rental car we booked never actually got booked, and we have a 9am sound check in Seaside tomorrow morning.”

You heard him stop and sigh again before continuing. “So, anyways. We were hoping you would know of anywhere that’s NOT the airport that we can get a car?”

You thought through what you knew of the area and cringed, realizing they were probably screwed.

“Nothing within about 10 miles. And even if you could get there, which you can’t since the busses don’t run this late, they probably wouldn’t be open til morning. There’s Greyhound, but the depot is clear downtown and again, no public transport. And if you grab a hotel and leave first thing in the morning, there’s still no way you’re making that soundcheck by 9am.”

You could hear him on the other end of the line relaying the information to the rest of the guys, as well as their collective groan as they came to the same conclusion you had. Rob gave a tired laugh. “So, basically, we’re stranded, huh?”

“Yeah, unfortunately. I mean, well…” You did have one idea, but no clue if they would actually be interested.

Rob caught on to the hesitancy in your voice. “What? What are you thinking? C’mon, we’ll take anything at this point. Hold on, I’m putting you on speaker.”

Well, it was worth a shot anyways.

“How much gear do you guys have with you?”

“Just a small suitcase each, and my acoustic, why? The rest of the stuff was shipped ahead.”

Yeah, you could easily make that work.

“Look. I have a car big enough for you guys and your bags. And while I can’t lend it to you straight out, if you don’t mind riding shotgun to a fan, I would be willing to run you out there. It’s only a couple of hours’ drive. I promise I’m not crazy.”

“No! I mean, no. We can’t impose on you like that. I mean… Ow!” 

You chuckled. You had heard the smack even over the phone, and you wondered which of the band had tried to knock some sense into him. 

“Ok. I mean, if you really WANT to be stranded with no other option and miss your soundcheck…”

“I just don’t want… Ow! OW!! Damnit Billy, knock that off! Ow! Ok! Ok. Looks like we’re placing ourselves in your hands. Just make him stop!”

Laughing, you decided to give the poor guy a break. “Hehe. Billy, down. He gets it. Ok. Give me an hour or so, and I’ll come get you.”

Rob rattled off their terminal information and you agreed on a meeting place before hanging up. Before you forgot, you scrolled back up to the incoming call info, and saved Rob’s number into your cell. 

You decided to change into one of your Swain shirts to make it easier for them to identify you, left a note for your roommate, and went out to the car. You usually kept the back row of seats folded down to make room for groceries and such, you needed to sit those back up to have enough space for everybody. Then you climbed in, steeled yourself to spend the next few hours in the car with Louden Swain and especially Rob Benedict, and backed out of the driveway to head for the airport.


	2. Chapter 2

You pulled into the airport parking garage, found a spot, and shut off the car. Flexing your fingers around the steering wheel, you took a deep breath before getting out and starting to walk towards the skybridge that would take you to the main terminal.

_Cool, calm, collected. They’re just people with really cool jobs, that’s all. C’mon, you can do this._

You had changed into one of your many SPN tshirts before leaving the house so you would be easier to identify, figuring a band shirt would be overkill, and you tugged it straight as you entered the terminal and took the escalator down to the baggage claim. You started to look around and heard your name called from off to the right. Turning, you found the guys grouped near an unmanned info booth, suitcases piled at their feet as they chatted with each other. Shit, they looked exhausted. Somehow, that made it a little easier to approach them.

“Hey guys.” You were caught a bit off guard as you were swept up into a series of “Oh thank God”s and hugs, and you might have even squeaked a little when Stephen grabbed you around the waist, lifted you up off the ground, and spun you around in a circle. Rob laughed and told him to put you down before he hurt you, and wouldn’t that suck if you couldn’t drive them to Seaside in time for the sound check because of it. You were a little dizzy when he finally did set you down, and you stumbled a bit. Your back connected with someone’s solid chest. Rob’s voice sounded in your ear as you felt his arms come around to steady you. Your breath hitched when the side of his beard tickled your ear and you bit back a moan.

“You good?”

You nodded, and patted his arm to be released. Stepping away, you took a second to steady yourself before turning to face him. The look on his face turned to concern as he took you in, and he stepped back into your space to put a hand up to your cheek. It took everything you had not to close your eyes and nuzzle into his palm.

“Hey, you ok? You look about as tired as we feel. You going to be good to drive?”

You put your hand over his on your cheek and drew it down and away to look at his watch. While you had intended it as just an excuse to touch him, you were surprised to see that it was pushing 1am.

Your gaze travelled from his wrist up his arm, across the sexy as fuck grey patch in his beard, and finally up to meet those crystal blue eyes. Your brain stuttered a bit.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” You shot him a cheeky grin. “You can just buy me a coffee at the kiosk upstairs and I’ll be good to go.” You dropped his hand as you turned, gesturing with your head for everyone to follow as your heard Rob laugh.

“Hey, I thought you were buying the cof…”

You glanced back to see Rob slap a hand over Mike’s mouth. Returning your grin, he shrugged and replied, “Ignore him. It’s the least we can do for rescuing us.”

Coffee in hand, you lead everyone back across the skybridge to the parking garage. After a small scuffle with Rob over who was paying the parking fee (Rob won), you approached the car, pointing the key fob and pushing the button to release the locks. Billy jogged ahead to pop the back hatch and looked back at you as if to silently ask where to put everything and how one of them was getting into the back seat. You caught up and nudged him out the way, reaching for the strap to release the smaller half of the seat and lay it down flat to the floor. You laughed a bit as Mike pushed past you to climb into the seat before anyone could say anything. He shrugged out of his coat, buckled in, wadded up the coat to wedge against the window, and laid his head down. He was asleep before everybody had thrown their bags into the back and shut the door. The rest of you glanced around at each other and just shrugged.

“Well, guess we should get going.”

Billy and Stephen took the middle row and followed Mike’s lead in using their jackets as pillows, leaving Rob to ride shotgun. He raised an eyebrow at you at the stack of Swain CDs in the cubby below the radio, and you blushed.

“Oh, shush. I did warn you I was a fan.”

He nodded. “Fair point, fair point.”

“There’s some other stuff in the center console.”

Rob popped the console open. He removed the top tray, and after poking through the fandom buttons it contained for a moment, set it aside and turned his attention to the CDs in the lower compartment. You threw your head back against the seat and groaned as you heard him chuckle. You had forgotten that just as the radio cubby contained Louden Swain’s complete collection, including Able-Legged Heroes and the new SNS live album, as well as Rob and Jason Manns’ Station Break album, the console held Jason’s full catalogue, complete with all three Friends albums, as well as Gil’s new album.

“I think there might be some Gilbert and Sullivan somewhere in there too?” At least he hadn’t found the bootleg albums you had burned of Billy’s and Rich’s old bands…

Rob laughed again and replaced the tray with a shake of his head, closing the console. “How about we just put the radio on and chat as the mood strikes us?” You both glanced back as one of the guys let out a soft snore. He looked back over to you, and the eye contact stopped your breathing for a second. “Cause it looks like it’s just us for awhile.”

You just silently nodded and faced forward to buckle up and press the button to start the engine. You watched him scroll through the radio stations til he settled on one before handing him your phone to put the address of the venue into the GPS, praying he didn’t poke through your pics while he had it. Thankfully he handed it back without incident. You slid the phone into the holder on the dash and hooked up the power cable, started the GPS, and backed out of your parking spot. After handing the attendant your ticket at the exit, and another tussle with Rob over who was paying to fill the tank (Rob won again), you finally got on the highway and headed out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! Ok! I get it, I should keep writing. lol Here, have this peace offering while I try to get Chapter 10 and beyond written.

An hour into the two hour drive, you were more than happy to have Rob to chat with to keep you awake. You managed to find a small all-night café along the road and stopped to use the bathroom and grab another cup of coffee.

You glanced into the back seat where everyone else was still asleep. “Should we wake them up?”

Rob shook his head. “We’ll just grab something to go, get back on the road.”

You nodded, and the two of you headed inside. You let Rob order the coffee while you looked around.

“You want anything to eat?”

“Just a muffin or something, thanks.” You turned to grab some extra napkins while he finished paying. Rob grabbed the coffees, you grabbed the bag of food, and you both headed back out to the car.

You popped your door open, reached in to set the bag down inside, and giggled. The three men in the back were still softly snoring away. Billy had fallen over to his other side and was now drooling on Stephen’s shoulder. You pointed it out to Rob as he leaned in to put the coffee in the cup holders. He chuckled, and climbed in alongside you after taking a quick picture of the two of them with his phone.

After you had gotten down the road a little further and finished off the food, you handed Rob the unused napkins. “Hey, can you toss those in the glove box?”

“Sure.” He reached forward and pulled the handle to the glove box. As the door opened, a small spiral notebook fell out, landing open at his feet. You groaned as you recognized it. It was half full of writings you never really intended for anyone to read. Maybe he wouldn’t read it as he picked it up. But of course, you weren’t that lucky.

Rob reached down, glancing at the open page as he grabbed it and straightened back up in his seat.

“Is this yours?” he asked, reading down the page.

“Yeah, It’s mostly just poetry, fragments of lyrics, whatever random stuff pops into my head and gets stuck there. Nothing interesting.”

He nodded and returned his attention to the notebook. “Hey, this is actually pretty good. Do you mind if I read more?”

“Sure, I guess. Like I said though, not much of interest, really.”

But he had already flipped to the front of the notebook and started reading in earnest, stopping only to pull out his glasses and put them on. Every so often, you saw him move his fingers in the shape of what looked to be guitar chords, or he would hum a tune under his breath. It wasn’t until you took the exit off the highway that he looked up again, closing the notebook and giving you directions to the hotel the band was booked into the next couple of nights.

“Hey, do you mind if I keep this tonight? Copy some of these down, make a few notes?”

You pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and stopped the car in a spot near the office. “I suppose so?” You started digging for a pen. “Let me give you my address, you can just mail it back to me when you’re done with it. Hand me a sheet of paper out of there, will you?”

“Mail it? Why can’t I just give it back to you in the morning?”

“I still gotta drive home.”

His eyes grew wide and he shook his head. “Oh geez, no! You can’t drive back, not this late.”

“But I’ve got…”

He reached out to put a hand on your shoulder. “Please don’t. It’s 4am and you’re exhausted. I’d really feel like shit if something happened to you on the way, and besides, we still need a way to the venue in the morning, yeah?”

You sighed, and nodded. “Ok, I’ll stay. Let’s get you guys off loaded. I still need to find a hotel.”

“Why don’t you stay here?”

“I can’t afford this place. I need to find someplace cheaper.” You got out of the car to start grabbing their luggage from the back.

He ran around the car to intercept you near the rear hatch. “No, don’t worry about it. We’ve got it, we can cover your room.”

“Rob, no! I can’t let you do that! You’ve already paid for so much and I…”

Your litany was stopped by his finger on your lips. Your eyes flew up to meet his.

“We will cover your room. We owe you that much at least.”

“I…”

He covered your mouth with his hand and stepped into the gap between you. You took a sharp breath in. His posture and the glasses he wore gave him a very dominant presence, and you barely managed not to whimper in sudden arousal.

“No, stop.” He waited a moment until he was sure he had your attention. “I am going to move my hand, but only if you can keep your mouth shut. Can you do that?”

You nodded. The moment he moved his hand: “But I…”

He slapped his hand back over your mouth and raised an eyebrow. “No. What did I just say? Can you be quiet and just let me talk?”

This time you did whimper, every submissive instinct you possessed begging you to comply, to please this man in front of you. He tilted his head a bit and briefly considered you, as if filing the situation away in his head for later.

“I’m waiting.”

You got ahold of your thoughts and nodded again. You could see him relax, and suddenly it was just Rob standing in front of you again. He lowered his hand, and brought the other up to cup your face in both hands.

“Thank you. Now, please, let me do this. You have gone way above and beyond the call of duty tonight, and really saved our tails. Stay tonight, on us. Give us a lift to the venue in the morning, hang around at least for the sound check. Maybe even the concert. I’ll reserve your room for two nights, just in case. Please?”

You opened your mouth, then stopped yourself, unsure if you were allowed to speak yet. He chuckled. “Yes, you can talk now.”

You nodded. “Ok, yes. Yes.”

He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. You shuddered at the sensation of his beard brushing lightly against your skin. He pulled back, considering you again, seeming to tuck that reaction away as well.

“Thank you. Now, how about you go wake up the children in the back seat while I go sort out the rooms?”

Ok.” The two of you split up, Rob walking towards the hotel office, and you turning back to the car.

Rob got to the desk and reached to his back pocket to discover his wallet missing. Dropping his head back, he realized he must have left it in the car and turned to go back and retrieve it. He got half way there and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight you were unintentionally presenting him with.

You were bent down across the front passenger seat, trying to wake the guys. You reached back and patted Billy’s knee a few times, calling his name until he stirred. You chuckled as he nuzzled, half asleep, further into Stephen’s shoulder before his eyes popped open and he sat bolt upright, registering what he had just done. You were about to reach over to wake Stephen too when you were startled by a warm weight draping itself against the back of your thighs and over your back. 

“Forgot my wallet.” You relaxed when you recognized his voice. Then he placed one hand on your hip and stretched over you to grab his wallet, bringing him firmly up against the length of you. And then… did he just…? You had to have imagined the subtle roll of his hips against you, grinding himself half hard into your ass. You felt the prickle of his beard against the crook of your neck as he lowered his head to murmur in your ear. “Finish up here, I’ll be right back.”

Then he was gone, leaving you panting, wet, and wanting. You shook your head to clear it, and finished getting everyone awake and out of the car. You were all waiting with the bags at your feet by the time Rob returned. He looked you over, nodding slightly before turning to the band and distributing room keys.

“You guys go get some rest. I’m going to make sure she gets to her room ok, then I’ll be right behind you.” They all nodded tiredly and trudged off.

He turned back to you and handed you your key, placing one hand on the back of your shoulder and gesturing in the direction of your room with the other. The walk was short, and you soon stood in front of the door. You turned to thank him.

Suddenly, he stepped into your space again, backing you into the door. His eyes searched your face as he raised a hand to cup your cheek. You swallowed hard, unable to break the eye contact. Eventually his expression softened.

“Get some rest. We’ll talk in the morning.” He leaned in to kiss your cheek, then stepped back and left for his own room.

It took you a moment to regain your bearings enough to turn and enter your room. You shut the door and dropped your bag to the side before falling back on the bed.

What. The. Fuck?

You curled up on your side, contemplating the events of the evening. Half an hour later, you were sound asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

A pounding sound woke you from a sound sleep. You groaned, pressing your face into the blanket beneath you before pushing yourself upright to sit on the edge of the bed. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes with the heels of your hands as someone pounded on your door again. Getting up with a grunt, you walked to the door, undoing the locks and opening it. Your breathing hitched.

Gone was the finger-mussed mess on his head and the clothes rumpled from too many hours of travel. In their place were a clean pair of skinny jeans that hugged his ass and legs just right, and a fitted red and black plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A tailored jacket was slung over the arm that wasn’t propped up on your doorframe and his glasses were perched on top of his head, his hair now neatly combed. You didn’t even realize you were staring until he smiled indulgently and straightened, freeing his hand to touch the underside of your chin and gently lifting your jaw, which had dropped open at the sight of him. You closed your eyes in mortification.

He chuckled and curled his fingers to lift your chin with one knuckle, waiting for you to open your eyes again.

“We’re headed down to the venue.” He pulled a piece of paper with an address on it out of his top pocket and handed it to you. “It’s only a few blocks up the way, so we’re going to walk. Why don’t you grab some breakfast from the buffet in the lobby, then wander over and join us? We should be just about set up and ready for sound check by then. Maybe we can grab lunch after, just the two of us. I have a proposition I want to discuss with you.”

You could only nod in agreement, your mind racing as to what his proposition could possibly be, considering what had happened last night.

He smiled. “Ok, great. I’ll leave your name at the door so you can get in, and we’ll see you there!” He turned and walked off back down the hall.

You exhaled, and closed the door again to get a shower and dressed before heading down for food.

You ate your fill at breakfast, ran back to your room for your favorite soft flannel shirt, and started down the sidewalk, carding your fingers through your still damp hair. You took in a deep breath of the crisp, salt-tinged morning air that reminded you of how near you were to the beach. Grinning, you wondered idly if you’d have time to wander on the sand while you were here. You allowed yourself a moment to fantasize about strolling the water’s edge at sunset, hand in hand with Rob, maybe with a kiss just as the last sliver of the sun disappeared into the ocean…

You shook your head to clear the scene from your mind, rolling your eyes. Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen. You sighed and walked the last couple of blocks to the club. Finding the door, you told the guard that tried to stop you that you were with the band and gave him your name.

Rob looked up from where he was tuning a guitar at the sound of the door closing behind you. He set the guitar in its stand and jumped down off the front of the stage. You cringed as he stumbled a few steps before catching his balance. He looked up at you sheepishly.

“I always misjudge how high those things can be,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “You should see me in Minneapolis. That stage is taller than I am, and I somehow manage to forget that fact at least twice every year that we do a con there. I don’t know how I haven’t broken a leg or something yet.”

He strode over to you and put his hands on your shoulders, smiling. “Hey there!” He pulled you into a hug. You were doing your best to nuzzle into his shirt as subtly as possible, taking in a deep breath of his scent. You pulled back and contemplated reaching up to fix a wayward tuft of hair on his head, and ended up screeching in surprise as another set of arms wrapped around your waist to lift you out of his grasp and spin you around. You caught sight of a cut off sleeve out of the corner of your eye, relaxing enough to laugh out loud as you realized it was Stephen that was once again manhandling you. You patted his arm to be put down. As you stepped away, your head spun. Rob rushed forward and caught you as your tripped over your own feet and started to fall, tucking you into his arms with your back to his chest. He threw a mock glare at the drummer.

“Christ, Norton! What did I say about not breaking her?”

Stephen sarcastically saluted Rob. “Yes, sir!” He smiled, then seemed to look closer at you and Rob, taking in how he held you so protectively, the way your arms were bent to hold his forearms with your hands. He raised an eyebrow, then grinned. “Yep, got it.”

He wandered away, walking up the stage steps and heading over to give his kit one more go over. You turned a bit to look up at Rob. “What was that all about?”

He glanced down at you, then back up to contemplate his bandmate, looking as perplexed as you felt. “I’m not sure. Come on, let’s go find you a seat.”

He released his grip on you and took your hand, leading you over to a table near the stage. He pulled out a chair for you before calling out to the bartender to bring you a soda, telling him to put it on the band’s tab. Then he got Billy and Mike’s attention and hopped back up on the stage.

You watched him double check the set list laying on top of one of the speakers and turn to the band to talk with them briefly, grabbing up his guitar to drop the strap over his head and adjust it across his back as he spoke.

You chuckled softly to yourself. You played a bit here and there, and recognized the practiced movements. You doubted that after 20+ years of making music, that he even ever registered the motions anymore.

He nodded at the band as they finished their conversation, and turned to the mic. He gave you a brief look before Stephen sounded out the count on his drumsticks and they launched into the first song. Gone was relaxed, smiley Rob. In his place was confident, too damn sexy for his own good Rock God Rob. It never failed to amaze you how easily he shifted between the two. He slipped out of the persona when he cut the music off and turned to the band to discuss the song and tweak his tuning. Then he slipped right back into it when the music resumed.

You sat back and simply listened as they worked their way through several more songs in the same manner. The behind the scenes look fascinated you. As they rehearsed She Waits, you could tell Rob was holding back, trying to save the emotion of the song for the concert that night. He cut the guys off after the first verse, deciding it was fine. They went through another couple of songs before pausing. Rob seemed to contemplate something before making a note on the set list. He turned around to consult the band. After a moment they all nodded, and Rob turned back to the mic as they launched into the next song.

You sat up straight, recognizing the opening chords. You knew that Station Breaks sometimes covered Swain songs in their concerts, but you didn’t know that you had ever heard Swain cover a Station Breaks song without Jason there. Your eyes slid closed as Rob started to sing the first lines to Hallelujah. This was one of your favorites. You absently began filling in the harmonies, getting so lost in the music by the second verse that it took you a half dozen bars to notice that Rob had shushed the band. You opened your eyes when you finally registered the silence, and closed them again in mortification. You hadn’t realized until you saw them listening intently just how loud you had been singing.

You started apologizing for interrupting their rehearsal, and you’d leave and find something else to do so they could finish in peace, and…

Your eyes snapped open as somebody clapped a hand over your mouth. Rob’s blue eyes gazed down into yours, and you hear the band resetting the stage behind him. You didn’t even know when he had approached you.

“You’re rambling again.” You sighed and nodded for him to remove his hand. “And hey, never apologize for interrupting my rehearsal when you’ve got a voice as beautiful as that. You should have told me you sing.”

He glanced over his shoulder to check the guys’ progress, then turned back to you. “We were about to break for the afternoon anyways. C’mon, let’s go get that lunch I promised you, yeah?” He reached out and took your hand, leading towards the door and out into the street, both of you missing the whispering of the three men behind you.


	5. Chapter 5

The two of you found a small café just up the street from the venue. You walked in, and he pulled a chair out from a table in the back corner, gesturing for you to sit before signaling the waitress and sitting down across from you. You made small talk as the waitress brought over menus and glasses of water, pausing only to thank her, and later to give her your orders. You turned to Rob as she cleared the menus and left you alone again.

“So, you said you had a proposition for me?”

He nodded, putting his elbows up on the table and propping his chin on his clasped hands. He regarded you a moment before speaking.

“You already know that with not being able to secure a car at the airport, we were left without the transportation we were depending on for this tour. By the way, the guys all asked me to pass on their profuse appreciation to you again for rescuing us last night. I don’t know what we would have done if not for that.”

You smiled at him. “I’m just glad I was still up when you guys reached out to me. I’ll be honest, when I extended that coffee invite out to Stephen on Snapchat, I never actually expected to ever hear from you guys. And it’s not every day I get invited to road trip with my favorite band, either.”

“Fate is funny like that sometimes, isn’t it?” You both looked up as the waitress put your plates in front of each of you, and thanked her as she walked away again. Rob lowered his arms to cross them on the table in front of him. “Anyways, as I was saying, we find ourselves without transportation. I had hoped to be able to rent something here this morning, but unless I want to rent bicycles or a freaking U-Haul to get us around, there’s nothing here.”

“So, where do I come into this?” You picked up a portion of your sandwich and took a bite as he continued.

“The guys and I talked over breakfast this morning. We feel like we get along with you pretty well. We need a car, and you have one. Do you have a reason you need to get home immediately, or do you have a week or so?”

You cocked your head in contemplation, casting your eyes to the ceiling. Your daughter had her own car, and just got her driver’s license. So getting to and from school wouldn’t be a problem for her. Your parents lived right up the street if she needed anything, and you had your cell phone if an emergency came up. And your own classes were already out for break. You returned your gaze to his and nodded.

“Yeah, I can get away for a bit. Why, what’s up?”

“I suggested to them, and they agreed, that we should ask you if you’d be willing to help us out for the remainder of the tour. We have three more shows after tonight, working our way north, then flying home out of SeaTac. You’d officially be on the payroll. Hotels, meals, gas all covered, with some extra for your time and the wear and tear on your car. And…” He paused, taking a deep breath as if steeling himself for the next part. His expression took on a pleading look.

“And, I would really like the chance to get to know you better.”

You put your sandwich down, attempting to process what he had just said, and sat back in your chair. That was NOT what you expected to hear going into this lunch. And that last part…

But… The opportunity to get to essentially play groupie to Louden Swain, all expenses paid, and spend more time with Rob?

You blew out the breath you didn’t realize you had been holding. You’d be an idiot to turn that down. You suddenly noticed the hand Rob was waving in front of your face, trying to get your attention.

“Hey, you still with me? You ok? Oh god, I didn’t offend you somehow, did I? I just…”

Apparently, it was your turn to cut off his rambling. You grabbed the hand in front of your face, interrupting him. You grinned at him.

“Sure! Yeah. That sounds like fun. I’m in.”

He relaxed and smiled. “Awesome. Thank you!”

Suddenly he took his hand back, holding a finger up to you for a second before digging into the backpack he’d grabbed up as you guys had left the club earlier. He pulled your notebook out of the bag and slid it across the table to you.

“I know you claimed there wasn’t anything interesting in there, but you’ve actually written some pretty neat stuff.” He nodded to you to take a look.

You pulled the notebook towards you and opened it, flipping through. You noticed that he had been courteous enough not to write in it directly, opting instead to jot things down on pieces of paper that looked like they had been torn out of a small spiral notebook. He had tucked the pages neatly inside the front cover. You pulled them out and looked them over before glancing up at him questioningly.

“My notes on some stuff. I thought you might like a copy.”

You nodded and looked back down. He had copied down a couple of your poems, making small changes to the structure and changing a word here and there, with what looked like guitar chords written in above the lines.

There was also what looked like another song on one of the sheets. You knew you had never heard it before, but it still seemed familiar. It took you a moment to realize that it was based off of one of your actual journal entries. You looked up at him in surprise.

He nodded. “I hope you don’t mind. I tried to skip over anything that wasn’t poems or lyrics, but that entry caught my eye. The song just kind of wrote itself as I read it, and I had to write it down.”

You tried not to let him see you cringe inside. You recognized the entry. While you hadn’t mentioned any names, you had waxed lyrical about a certain singer, and about some of the things you’d like to… You just prayed he didn’t figure out who it was about.

“No, that’s fine. I like it.” You tapped out a bit of rhythm as snippets of melody floated into your mind, based off the chord notations. It really did have the potential to be a pretty cool song.

He sat back, relieved. “Good. That’s good.” He nodded at the food on the table. “What do you say we finish eating and head back to the hotel. I don’t know about you, but I could use a bit more rest before the show tonight.”

You agreed, and picked your sandwich up for another bite.

Rob paid the tab (“You’re on our dime now, remember?”) and you walked back to the hotel in companionable silence. He went with you to your door. You turned around to thank him for lunch, and lost your train of thought when he reached out to tuck an errant lock of hair back behind your ear. He looked you in the eye, realizing what he had done, and cleared his throat, putting his hands in his pockets. He shifted his weight between the balls of his feet and his heels a few times before he spoke.

“So, yeah. Get some rest, maybe a nap, and I will come get you when it’s time to go?” He leaned in to kiss your cheek, then strode away. Part way down the hallway he turned around. “Hope you don’t mind bar food for dinner.” He walked backwards for a few more steps before turning back around and disappearing around the next corner.

You released your breath and let yourself into your room. Yeah, right, like you’d be able to sleep after that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was going to post this over the weekend, but ended up super sick. I'm still recovering, and was intending to come home after dropping the kids at school this morning and nap until I had to pick them up. Of course this is the day the city decided that the trees on my street needed trimming. Ever tried to sleep through a wood chipper? Bleh.
> 
> So, enjoy this. Hopefully I'll be able to get some writing done since I can't nap. Also, this chapter contains a writing prompt line from one of my Facebook groups. I read it and had to find a way to work it in. Can you spot it?

For the second time that day, Rob knocking at your door woke you. You moved the book that you had settled in with earlier and glanced at the clock. 5pm. Crap! You had meant to get up an hour ago to grab a shower and change… into what?

You realized for the first time that you were still wearing the same clothes that you threw on the night before to go to the airport. You had planned to go right back home after dropping the guys off, so hadn’t packed any spare clothes, any toiletries, not even a change of underwear, or deodorant, or a hairbrush, or…

Another knock at the door pulled you out of your thoughts. You got up and walked across the room to answer. You opened the door, and had to take a step back.

Rob was leaned up against the wall across from your room, arms crossed at his chest, with one foot casually kicked over the other. Your gaze started at his feet, slowly drifting up to take in his outfit. Black Converse, those black skinny jeans that were always so tight that you weren’t sure how he wasn’t permanently singing in a higher octave. White button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and the front buttons undone one button more than was really decent, topped with a black vest open at the front and one of his “Euro” scarves draped loosely around his neck. The white fedora he bought in Hawaii. Your eyes returned to his face as he pushed off the wall to greet you, and you realized he was wearing his glasses.

“There you are! Ready to go?”

You shook your head to clear it as his words snapped you back to reality. “Um, yeah. Just about. Come… come on in while I finish.” He nodded and followed you back into the room. You turned to face him again and pointed your thumb back over your shoulder towards the bathroom. “I’m just gonna… um… give me five minutes?” You turned around and did your best not to run to the bathroom and shut the door.

You braced yourself on the edge of the sink and hung your head before taking a deep breath and looking up into the mirror. Now what were you going to do? You had used up the little shampoo and conditioner bottles supplied by the hotel during your shower that morning, and housekeeping hadn’t been in yet to restock. You gave a quick glance around the room, pushed off the sink, and grabbed the small hotel soap and a washcloth. At least you could scrub off the worst of the day. You stripped your shirt and jeans off and wet the soap and cloth. A quick scrub, wipe the soap off with a second wet cloth, and you dried off with a towel. You dropped everything into the tub for housekeeping, and grabbed up the little bottle of scented lotion off the counter and gave it a sniff. You nodded to yourself. It would do. You smoothed the lotion on, then pulled your clothes back on. A quick attempt to tame your hair with your fingers and a bit of water, and you were as done as you were going to get. You opened the door and stepped back into the room.

Rob was kicked back in the desk chair with his feet propped up on the desk, paging through the trash romance novel you had abandoned earlier. He looked up as he heard you walk in, dropped his feet to the floor, and tossed the book on the desk.

“Just give me one more sec.” You bent down to put your shoes on and straightened, turning back to him. His gaze quickly snapped up to your face. A slight blush colored his cheeks at having been caught staring. Clearing his throat, he stood and handed you your flannel off the back of the chair.

You threw it on over your shoulders and reached across him to grab your room key off the desk. As you brushed against him, you caught the slightest movement of his head towards you out of the corner of your eye. Did he… did he just smell your neck? You stood and slid the key into your pocket, puzzled at the conflicted look on his face. Stepping back, you tilted your head towards the door. “Shall we?”

He followed you to the door and stepped out into the hall ahead of you. You made sure the door was locked and started walking down the hall behind him, taking a second to appreciate the view in front of you. _That ass should be illegal_ , you thought.

Rob finally spoke as you started walking down the street.

“I have to head straight backstage when we get there, but we have a table at the front reserved for you, and the bartender knows who you are now. So order whatever food or drink you want during the evening, they know to charge it to us. Luckily, we’re getting there ahead of the crowds, and can get some dinner before the kitchens get busy.”

“You guys have to pay for your own food?”

He sighed, looking ahead as he thought. “Larger venues and Creation convention shows and such, no. We get everything catered in at their expense. But, even if we ARE getting paid to be here, it was small venue gigs like this that really gave us our start. So they have a special place in our hearts, and paying for our own meals is kind of our way of giving back, y’know?”

He fell silent after that, leading you around the back of the building to avoid the crowds already lining up out front. He lead you in through the stage door and back areas to the main room. He pointed out your table, then left you at the bar to place your order.

You watched him disappear backstage before turning to the bar to order your drink and some food, then wandered over to sit at your table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody good at writing poetry or song lyrics? I have a section coming up later that needs them, I don't want to use an existing song, nothing I've written fits, and I'm having issues trying to come up with something. Drop me a line.


	7. Chapter 7

It wasn’t long after that the doors opened and people started filing in. The space filled quickly, some heading straight for the bar while most hustled to claim a table. You were not surprised to see a smattering of Swain shirts and various Rock God gear around the room. A tap on your shoulder startled you, and you turned around to find a person holding out a small battery-operated tea light in the palm of their hand. “You know what this is for?” they asked. You nodded as you took it from them, and they moved on to the next table. You smiled, looking over the candle. A sticker on one side was printed with the band logo, while one on the other side had the name of the venue.

You set it on the table, and looked up as a waiter came over to place your order in front of you. You thanked him, settling in as the lights lowered. In the dim light, you could see the guys filing in and getting set with their instruments. Rob walked in last to the cheers of the crowd. He set down what looked to be a freshly opened beer bottle on top of one of the amps before grabbing up his guitar and shrugging the strap over across his back. Rob, Billy, and Mike did a quick tuning check before Rob nodded at Stephen. He turned to the mic as the drummer sounded out the count on his sticks, and the stage lights exploded on as the band launched into their first number.

You took a sip of your drink, sat back, and simply enjoyed the show. As much fun as the big Saturday Night Special concerts were, these small ones had always been your favorites. The band was free of the constraints imposed on them at the concerts, and Rob’s sassy dirty side came out in force. You shook your head, thinking again that the people who insisted that he was some pure, demure soul that needed to be protected from objectification at all costs had obviously never seen one of these shows.

Finishing your meal, you pushed the plate away from you and picked up your drink. You smiled as you watched Rob lock into the music, repeatedly throwing his weight onto his front foot, or leaning back and grinding his hips into his guitar. You started tapping your toe under the table and leaned forward onto your arms as the band rocked through the first few songs.

After awhile, they slowed things down and started playing Hallelujah. Rob sang through the first verse before starting to scan his eyes over the crowd. His gaze eventually settled on you. He seemed to contemplate something, then gave you a soft smile and closing his eyes to croon the final verse into the mic. What was that all about?

Another set of upbeat songs, and the mood on the stage changed. Rob stepped back and clasped his hands over his heart, dropping his head forward and shifting his weight slowly from one foot to the other as the others moved into the opening strains of She Waits. You watched in awe as the audience lit up a couple hundred of the tea lights that had been handed out earlier. Picking up the one in front of you, you turned it on and held it up to join the display of love and affection that had become a fan tradition for this song.

Rob finally moved back to the mic and grasped it, eyes closed. You could hear his voice trying not to break as he sang. He opened his eyes when he moved into the chorus and looked out over the crowd, taking in the display that was just for him. His face clouded over with emotion, a tear threatening to slide down his cheek. Singing this song was always so hard on him, and yet he had made it a staple of all of Swain’s concerts as a thank you to the fans’ support of him.

He finished the second verse and chorus, and turned away to grab his beer and compose himself. The band kept the refrain going while he took a few deep drinks off the bottle. You saw him exchange a couple of quiet words with Stephen, then he nodded at him as he set his beer down, turning back and moving into the bridge. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you wondered how many mic stands he has broken in performance as you watched him lean into the one on stage and yank it around as he poured his heart and soul into the last part of the song.

With that, Rob buried his face in his arm to catch his breath. He was visibly shaking as he looked up, basking in the love of the audience with a watery smile on his face. He took a step back, and held his hands over his head in a heart shape, turning from side to side to acknowledge everyone while the band quietly improvised in the background.

Soon enough, he lowered his hands and started bouncing on the balls of his feet, queing the start of the upbeat finale song. He launched into it so enthusiastically that you half expected Matt Cohen to come running out to rile up the crowd. Not that they needed it. Everyone was already on their feet, clapping and singing along. The noise reached a fever pitch as the song reached its climax, and by the time it finished, the crowd was practically shouting their applause. They carried on while the band put down their instruments, waving as they filed off the stage with the stage lights dimming behind them.

The audience started up a chant of “Louden Swain! Louden Swain!” After a moment, the lights came back up, and everyone cheered as the guys came back to the stage to resume their positions. They played a couple more songs before beginning the last one. About halfway through, Rob doubled over laughing, then just stood grinning as the noise of a chorus of kazoos sounded over the top of the instrumental bridge without prompt. He finally brought his hands up to signal the end of the sounds. Still chuckling, he stepped up to the mic for the last time. “You guys fucking rock,” he said, and sang through the end of the song. He fell back to join the rest of the band as they put their arms across each other’s shoulders and bowed. A second bow, then a third, and they were filing off the stage. Rob grabbed his beer on the way through and drained it as he ducked behind the curtain.

Giving the crowd a few minutes to settle their tabs and file out of the building, you scooped up your candle from the table. You headed for the bar, with the intent of having a final beer waiting for Rob when he came out. You set the candle on the bar just as he came bounding out from the back. He stopped long enough to scan the room. Sighting you, he strode over, and without missing a beat, slid one hand behind your back and curled the other around your hip. Your hands flew up to his chest as he pulled you flush against his body and kissed you.

You gasped in shock before relaxing into the kiss. You definitely never saw this coming. You may have dreamed about it before, maybe even fantasized about it once or twice. You never seriously thought it would ever actually happen. He started nibbling at your lower lip, stroking it with kitten licks with his tongue until you let him in.

The moment the pounding of his heart under your palm, the feel of an erection starting to press against your thigh, and the taste of beer on his tongue registered, your heart shattered. Of course. The adrenaline of performing, combined with one too many beers, he was just caught up in the moment and energy of an amazing show. He moaned against your mouth, and you couldn’t do it anymore.

“Rob, no. Stop. Rob, stop!” With a sob, you pushed back from his chest to create some space between you.

He opened his eyes with a confused frown. His expression turned to surprise, then concern as he took in the tears streaking your face. “Hey. Hey, what is it? What’s wrong?” The hand on your neck moved to your shoulder, and the other came up to lift your chin. “Hey, c’mon, look at me, talk to me. “What’s wrong?” You raised your eyes to his after a pause.

A look crossed his face as if finally realizing what had just happened, and his features crumbled. “Oh, oh God, was it something I did? Was it this? Was it not ok? Please, tell me. I’m sorry… I didn’t mean… I just got caught up in the moment, I… How can I fix this? Please, let me fix it.”

You shook your head, cutting off his rambling. Hearing that he hadn’t even MEANT to kiss you just made things that much worse. You needed him to stop talking before he completely destroyed you.

“Rob, no, stop. I just… I can’t… just… I can’t.”

A noise behind Rob caught your attention. You looked over his shoulder to see the rest of the band come in from backstage. They looked at the two of you, confused, and you were done.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. You pulled yourself out of his grasp and walked away, ignoring his pleas for you to come back, and leaving the bar in favor of the cool night air.


	8. Chapter 8

You fumbled your key three times and dropped it twice before you managed to let yourself into your room. The brisk walk back to the hotel had done nothing to temper your emotions, and you curled up on the bed, sobbing in misery.

You had just started drifting off when a knock sounded at the door. You ignored it, not in the mood to talk to him. A second knock came, and you yelled towards the door. “Get lost, Benedict! I don’t want to talk to you right now!”

You didn’t expect to hear Stephen’s voice come through. “Good thing I’m not him then. Come on, sweetheart. Let me in so we can talk properly.”

You rolled off the bed and crossed the room. Releasing the deadbolt, you opened the door to find him leaned up against the doorframe. He took one look at you and moved in to give you a hug. Instead, you shied away from him, and walked over to drop down on the edge of the bed. You heard him step in and close the door behind him.

“I can only imagine what you guys must think of me right now. The stupid little fangirl who can’t even deal with one kiss from her idol without causing drama. And now you’re here to tell me you regret ever asking for my help and to get lost.

You heard Stephen sigh. “Wow, he really did mess you up. Can I sit?” You nodded, and felt the mattress dip down beside you. He continued. “First, this.”

You looked up as he extended his hand towards you and opened it. On his palm sat your candle that you had abandoned on the bar earlier in your haste to get away. You took it, trembling.

“You should know that it meant everything to him to see you there in the front row, holding that candle. He wanted to make sure you got it back, just in case it meant as much to you as it does to him.”

You turned it over in your hands a couple of times before reaching over to set it safely on the nightstand. “Why didn’t he bring it over himself?”

Stephen sighed again and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “He, apparently rightly, assumed you wouldn’t want to speak to him.” He paused. “Anyways, we’ve heard Rob’s side. To hear him tell it, he places all the blame on himself. It may please you to know that Mike slapped him upside the head, I berated him for being an idiot, and Billy ever so succinctly labeled him an asshole fuckup.”

You huffed out a small laugh, feeling a little better to know that at least they all seemed to be on your side.

“You guys probably figured out from the get-go that I have a huge crush on him. I mean, what Rob or Swain fangirl doesn’t, right? So when he kissed me like that, I let myself believe it meant something. Then I realized he was just high on the show and half-drunk and was just using me to blow off some steam. I was crushed and humiliated, so I ran.”

“Sure, we knew. We noticed as soon as you showed up at the airport. But you seemed to have it well under check, so we decided to leave it be unless it became an issue.”

“And now it has, right?”

He chuckled. “No. No, you’re not the issue. What we missed until after soundcheck today was that he was starting to crush on you too. He does that, you know. He crushes easy, fast, and hard.”

“You do realize that knowing I’m just another of the many people he’s crushed on really isn’t helping your case?”

“Let me finish. Anyways, we opted to let that go too, knowing how he is. We didn’t realize it might be more than that until tonight. Do you know how he spent most of our warmup time backstage doing? Playing through some of the stuff he’s writing from the material he pulled from your notebook, and wondering if you knew just how brilliant you are. You really do have a talent for lyrics, and that’s the kind of thing that hardcore turns his head. His soul is pure music, and to come across a kindred spirit out of the blue… Well, we really shouldn’t have been as surprised as we were when we walked in on your altercation and he told us what happened.”

He took in your look of disbelief, and switched gears.

“You should know, he wasn’t drunk. That beer he had on stage tonight was the only thing he had to drink all day. But you were partially right. He was high as fuck on the thrill and energy of the performance. And so he blew right past about ten different steps in your relationship, and completely crashed and burned.”

He turned to face you, and continued. “Please. You are both miserable. He is heartbroken knowing he hurt you like that. Will you please at least give him the chance to explain himself? Even if you decide to walk away afterwards, can you grant him, and yourself, at least that much?”

You thought for a moment, then looked up at Stephen with fresh tears in your eyes. “I can’t. Not right now. Not when I am this tired and this broken. Please, can we leave it for morning, when we’ve all had some sleep and a chance to clear our heads?”

He nodded in resignation. “Fair enough.” He stood up, smoothing a hand over your hair and resting it on your cheek. You looked up at him.

“You know, I’m starting to understand why he fell for you. You’re one of the good ones.” He dropped a kiss on top of your head. “It really is going to be ok, I promise.”

He walked across the room, put his hand on the knob, and turned back to you. “We’re looking to pack up around 9 tomorrow and hit the road. That good for you?”

You nodded. “That’s fine. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

When the door closed behind him, you rolled over onto the bed and just laid there trying to process everything. You finally sat up long enough to plug in your phone and set your alarm before crawling under the covers. It wasn’t long before you fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you guys are getting this one a little early, mostly because I'm hip deep in prep for NashCon next weekend, and if I don't post it now you wouldn't be seeing it til after con.
> 
> Enjoy!

The sunlight coming in between the curtains was what finally woke you up. You rolled over and grabbed your phone to check the time. 8:55. You cursed, realizing you had missed your alarm. You threw back the covers and cringed, realizing you had slept in your clothes. Whatever. You rolled out of the bed to throw your shoes on and grabbed your flannel. You turned around to give the room a quick scan, and went back to slide your phone into your pocket, and snagged your candle and room key off the nightstand before rushing out the door.

When you got outside, you could see the guys hanging out around your car with their bags at their feet. Rob had added his guitar in its case to the mix as well. You grabbed your key fob off your belt loop and pointed it at the car, unlocking it as you crossed the parking lot. Everyone startled, looking up to see you walking towards them. You heard Rob ask for everyone’s keys as you approached, and tossed yours to him. As he caught it, he looked at you like he wanted to say something, then shot an apologetic look at his band mates as he turned away to go check everyone out.

“Rob!” You started to go after him, but were stopped by a hand on your shoulder. You looked up at Billy, who just shook his head at you before looking after his friend’s retreating back.

“Let him go.” You turned to Stephen as he spoke. “I swear, I told him everything we talked about last night. I thought I got through to him. I think…” He sighed, turning to face you fully. “I think the problem is that he hasn’t forgiven himself enough yet to allow you to forgive him. Until then…” He shrugged.

You looked over where Rob had disappeared into the hotel office, then pulled loose from Billy’s grasp to walk around the car, starting to load the bags into the back in an effort to hide your tears from the others.

You had hoped that Rob would at least ride up front with you so you could talk to him. But when he returned from the office, he simply climbed in the back seat, saying he wanted to spend the drive going over the next set list and figuring out what final details they would have to sort out when you got to the venue.

That was what finally broke you. Mike helped you load the final bag, and saw the tear roll down your cheek. He stepped towards you to offer a hug, but you stepped back and shook your head, shutting the back hatch and walking around to get into the car. As you passed the side door, Stephen stopped you. He gently took the keys out of your hand and tossed them to Mike.

“Hey!”

“No, you’re not driving. You are exhausted and upset. Let him drive for at least a while. Alright? Now, for the next thing. I didn’t see you carrying a bag when you came out, and you’ve been wearing those same clothes since you picked us up. What’s going on?”

You put your hands in your pockets and stared down at the ground, watching your foot scuff along the asphalt surface. “I wasn’t exactly planning to do more than drop you guys off and go straight back home when I left the house the other night, so I didn’t even think about packing a bag. Even crashing for the night, it would have been fine. It wasn’t until I was getting ready for the concert last night that it occurred to me that I was staying on and had no clothes, no toiletries, nothing.”

He frowned, then nodded. “Ok, we’ll figure something out. C’mon, let’s get on the road.”

You watched him walk around the car, pausing to talk to Mike and Billy. You climbed in and shot Rob a final look, silently pleading with him to talk to you. He held eye contact for just a second before looking back down at the papers in his lap. Stephen got in beside you just in time to see your face crumple. He reached across you to pull your door shut, then guided you down to lay across the bench seat, resting your head on his thigh. You missed the glares the guys gave Rob, and you never saw him shrink back into himself as a result. You were too busy sobbing into Stephen’s lap as the drummer combed his fingers through your hair to try to soothe you. You fell asleep not long after the car pulled out of the parking lot.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You woke to Stephen gently shaking your shoulder. You sat up, rubbing your eyes with the heel of your hand and looking around. The car was parked in what looked like a strip mall anchored by a Fred Meyers. Out the window, you could see Mike and Rob striding across the parking lot to where a Starbucks and a Subway sat a couple of doors down from each other. You looked up at Stephen in confusion. He nodded towards them.

“We decided to stop for coffee and lunch, and figured we could solve the problem of you not having anything to wear at the same time. You want anything while they’re ordering?”

You gave him your coffee and food order and watched as he shot off a quick text. Then he looked you over.

“Feeling any better?”

You nodded. “I’m done letting him get to me. If he wants to keep being an asshole, that’s his problem. Me, I am going back to getting to play groupie to my favorite band and just enjoy the ride.”

He grinned. “That’s a girl.” He looked up to where the guys were coming back with the food. He shared a glance with Billy, who nodded from where he was leaned up against the hood of the car.

“Tell you what.” He reached into his back pocket for his wallet, opening it and handing you a credit card. “That’s linked to the band account. Why don’t you go on ahead, start grabbing what you need. We’ll catch up to you in a moment.”

Knowing better by now than to argue, you slipped the card into your back pocket and got out of the car, heading off towards the department store.

They watched until you disappeared into the store, then turned as one towards Rob.

“Dude, when are you going to pull your head out of your ass?”

Rob’s head snapped up to look at Billy, then over to Mike as he chimed in.

“Why are you treating her like she’s the one who did something wrong?”

“I… I didn’t… I’m not…”

Stephen stepped in. “She has been trying to get you to talk to her all day so that the two of you can work things out, and all you’ve done is give her the cold shoulder because you can’t get over yourself. It’s as if you enjoy making her cry. She’s giving up, you know. And if you don’t stop being a little shit, you are going to lose her.”

Rob finally snapped. “You guys think I don’t know that? I let myself get caught up in the energy of the performance, as usual, and I kissed her. All I could think about was how much I realized I care about her, and I kissed her, and somewhere in that process, all I managed to do was to scare her and to hurt her, and I don’t even know how. I was so sure she felt the same way I did, but boy did I misread that situation. And now, I don’t know how to make it better, all I manage to do is keep hurting her, and by now she probably hates me and is counting the days until her commitment to us is done and she can go home, because she’s too good a person to do otherwise. So, yeah, I’m perfectly aware that I’ve fucked it all up. Is that what you wanted to hear?” He glared as the rest of the band burst out laughing. “What the fuck, guys?”

“Dude, you DID misread things, but not how you think. Just, go and talk to her before you drive her away for good.”

“Where is she?”

“In the store. Turns out she didn’t pack any clothes or anything, because she obviously had no way of knowing that she’d be staying on the tour with us instead of going straight back home. So I gave her our card and she’s in there grabbing what she needs.”

Rob scowled. “Shit. I didn’t even realize…”

“Dude, none of us did until we noticed she didn’t throw a bag in the car with the rest of us this morning, and realized that she’s been wearing the same clothes for two days. Now, let’s go, I told her we’d catch up with her inside.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You were standing at the back of the car with the hatch up, packing your new stuff into the suitcase that one of the guys had snuck into the cart when you weren’t looking. You paused, trying to keep ahold of your temper as you recognized the footsteps coming up behind you.

“Hey, so, can we talk?”

You spun around. “Talk? NOW you want to talk? Talk about what? How about you used me to blow off a bit of steam, then proceeded to ignore me all day?”

“Wait, what?”

“Shut up. You wanted to talk, this is me talking. Do you know what the top item on my musical bucket list has been?”

“I… no.”

“That item, Mr Robert Patrick, was to spend an afternoon with your ass and a couple of guitars, just making music and picking your brain on songwriting.”

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve been called that since…”

“Shut. Up!” By this point, your hands were in fists by your sides, your voice loud enough that others in the parking lot were looking over in curiosity. “I agreed to help you guys out, because I thought it would be fun, and that I would be crazy to turn down the chance to spend time with you. Instead, you used me to get your kicks, been a complete asshole, and at this point I am only staying because the others have asked me to do so, and they are bending over backwards to make me feel welcome.” You weren’t even trying to stop the tears falling anymore.

“I will get you guys through the rest of the tour, and to Seattle. After that, I’m out. In the meantime, just leave me alone.” You spun back to your suitcase to finish packing, effectively dismissing him. Zipping the bag, you slid it in alongside the rest, slammed the back hatch, and pushed past him. You accepted your coffee and sandwich from Mike before climbing into the front passenger seat and closing the door, leaving a stunned Rob in your wake.

Rob looked over at the rest of the band, but they simply shrugged at him as if to say _Dude, what did you expect?_ and proceeded to join you in the car, once again relegating him to the back as they distributed the rest of the food. Billy took the driver’s seat, and looked askance at you. Seeing you nod that you were ok for now, he started the car and headed back to the highway.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry about the lateness on this chapter. I was at NashCon this weekend, and by the time I got home last night, ate something, and crawled into bed, it was almost 3am. Then had to get up at 6:30 for the morning school runs. Then spent the day napping off the jetlag.
> 
> And I seriously wish I could remember who spent the time with me so long ago helping me figure out how to write this chapter when I just couldn't get the words to come out right. You all have that person to thank for this chapter being what it is, and they have all my love for it.

This time it was the sounds of the car doors slamming and luggage being shifted that woke you. You unbuckled and got out, walking to the back to find Stephen and Mike unloading the bags. You didn’t see Rob or Billy, and figured they were at the hotel office getting everybody checked in. You grabbed up your bag as they came back across the parking lot, because the last thing you felt like dealing with right now was Rob. All you wanted was dinner, fresh clothes, a shower, and to crash for the night, not necessarily in that order.

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Rob finished distributing keys to the guys. He started heading your way, but Billy stopped him, taking your key from Rob and bringing it to you himself. You took it from him gratefully, and smiled your thanks.

“Hey, we’re all going out to grab some dinner. Do you want to join us?”

You glanced over at Rob, and shook your head. “No, I think I am just going to take some down time, order in some room service. It’s been a long day.”

“I don’t blame you, honestly.” He looked at you for a long moment, then opened his arms to offer a hug. You were surprised at the uncharacteristic gesture, but stepped into his embrace anyways and buried your face into his chest for a moment. He tightened his arms around you, resting his chin on top of your head.

He spoke softly. “I know he’s been an ass today. Just… please don’t give up on him yet, ok?”

You stepped back and nodded. “Ok.”

“Will we see you at breakfast or soundcheck tomorrow?”

You shook your head. “I think I am just going to explore in the morning. But text me the info for lunch? I might join back up with you guys for that.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure someone does.” He put his hand on your shoulder for a moment, then let you go, walking over to claim his own bags.

You glanced over at Rob one last time, taking in his miserable expression even as he did his best to once again ignore you. You turned away, trying not to cry again, and headed for your room.

In the wake of your departure, a loud smack sounded as Billy reached over and slapped Rob upside the head.

“Dude, what the hell was that for?”

“What part of if you ignore her, you’re going to lose her didn’t you get?”

“You heard her earlier! She wants nothing to do with me, and asked me to stay away. I’m just trying to respect that.” He turned and glared at Stephen. “She thinks I used her! You talked to her last night, I thought you said the two of you cleared that up!”

“I did. Then you proceeded to ignore her all day, and in her head, that added up to her fears being correct. And nothing you’ve done has demonstrated anything differently.”

Billy spoke up. “Look dude. I just asked her to not give up on you yet, and she agreed. You still have one last chance. But I think you’re going to have to get creative, and be ready to play the long game. You’ll have to be consistent and resilient, because she’s not going to forgive you overnight, and as mad as she is, you’re going to have to ultimately convince her to come to you, when she’s ready, not the other way around. But you have to stop ignoring her.”

“But what…”

“I don’t know, man. But I do know that I’m starving. Let’s find someplace to eat and discuss it there, yeah?”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing you did in the morning was fire up the coffee pot in your room. You poured a cup and took a sip, grimacing. Better add finding a decent cup of coffee to today’s list.

You were just contemplating whether to order room service or go out for breakfast, when you got a text from Stephen.

\- **We’re headed out for the day, but didn’t want to disturb you if you were still sleeping. Just wanted to let you know that we are leaving the keys with the office so you can use the car today if you need it.**

Breakfast out it was, then. Opening your hotel room door to leave, you almost stepped on the flower that had been left outside. You bent down to pick it up and looked it over. A carnation, your favorite. The tips of the white petals were tinged with purple. You fingered the small, unsigned tag that hung from the purple ribbon tied around the stem.

_I’m sorry._

Your temper flared, and you grabbed the head of the flower with every intention of tearing it apart. 

Did he really think it would be so easy? Just drop a flower on the doorstep and call it good? 

You stopped, taking the flower by the stem and releasing the head. Raising it to your nose for a sniff, then stroking the slightly crumpled petals, you considered your options.

Oh, but his behavior had hurt. If he would have just talked to you the first time you tried, instead of spending the day making you feel like you were the one that did something wrong…

You dropped the flower back to the floor. No, he had made his choice, and you already told him what he could do with it. Stepping over the flower, you pulled the door closed behind you.

In your haste to get away, you didn’t see Rob coming down the hall from the opposite direction, just in time to witness your rejection of his gift.

He stopped, nausea roiling in his belly as he saw the flower hit the floor and you walking away. He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned a shoulder on the wall, hanging his head. Maybe you really were done with him, then. A tear slid down his cheek, and he pushed off the wall to walk back the way he came, shoulders slumped. But stubbornness wouldn’t let him quit just yet. There had to be something that would work.

A moment later, you approached your door again. Picking up the flower, you thought about your promise to Billy to give Rob one last chance. Maybe he was ready to talk.

With a sigh, you slid your key into the door. You wanted to get Rob’s peace offering into some water. It was getting a bit late for breakfast, but maybe the guys would have a plan for lunch by now.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am so sorry for the short chapter, but I promise I will more than make up for it next week!

As you grabbed your jacket to head back out, the text alert on your phone went off. It was Stephen with the details for lunch. Was it really that late? Glancing at the clock, you cringed. So much for breakfast. You pulled up the café’s location and discovered that it was just a few blocks up the road. Parting the blinds to check the weather, you decided to just walk it, and fired off a reply to expect you.

Stepping out onto the sidewalk, you kicked a random rock out of your way and watched it skitter across the pavement. You assumed Rob would be at lunch. Maybe the two of you would have a chance to grab some time afterwards to talk before the band had to be at the club for their final sound check. You caught up to the rock and kicked it again, lost in your thoughts. Eventually you reached an intersection. You kicked the rock one last time, huffing as it skipped off the sidewalk and down a storm drain. Figures.

You heard your name from across the street, and looked up to see the guys standing in front of the café flagging you down. You waved in acknowledgement. Checking for traffic, you crossed the street to join them. You scanned the group and frowned, realizing someone was missing.

“Is Rob running late?”

“He’s not coming.”

You turned to Mike in surprise as he spoke. “Why not?”

Billy shrugged. “Not sure. He ran back to the hotel a while ago to grab something. Called about twenty minutes later, said he wasn’t feeling so hot and was going to grab lunch in his room and lay down for a bit. He’s going to catch up to us at sound check.”

“Is he… is he still avoiding me then?”

Stephen reached over and turned you to face him, putting his hands on your shoulders. Smiling softly, he reached up and gently used his thumb to wipe away the tear running down your cheek. “Hey now. Remember what we agreed on yesterday? That you weren’t going to let his behavior ruin the rest of your time with us?”

You sniffed and nodded. “Yeah. I know, you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.” He pulled you in for a hug, resting his chin on your head. “And hey. If you ever decide you’re tired of chasing him, you have my number now,” he joked.

You chuckled and pulled back a little to look up at him. “Sorry to disappoint, dude. But I think I am forever hung up on that little shit.”

He laughed, hugging you again and dropping a kiss on top of your head before releasing you. “Damn. Ah well, had to try anyways. Made you smile at least. Hey, you coming to the show tonight?”

You shrugged. “I dunno.”

“Hey now. What did we just talk about? Don’t let him force you to spend the night moping around in your room. Even if you slip in during the first song and out during the last so he doesn’t see you, you should still come enjoy your evening.”

After a moment of consideration, you nodded.

“Awesome. We’ll make sure your name gets on the list at the door. Now, what do you guys say we finally grab some lunch?

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Waving goodbye to the guys as you crossed the parking lot back at the hotel, you headed back to your room to change. You had decided that you were going to spend the afternoon exploring the historic district of Astoria before heading to the show.

On a whim, you swung by Rob’s room first in the hopes of still having that conversation. Stopping in front of his door, you could hear faint strains of guitar music coming from inside the room, though you couldn’t quite place the tune. But at least you knew he was in there.

“Rob?” You tapped on the door. “Rob, come on. Can we talk? Please?” You heard the music falter and stop, and hoped that the continuing silence meant that he was at least contemplating answering the door. Then the music started again. You sighed. At least you could say that you tried. Turning, you continued down the hall towards your room.

Rob stopped playing again as he heard you walk away. He had wanted to answer the door, but… He sighed, and turned to place the guitar in its case on the bed. The song was as polished as it was ever going to get anyways. Closing the lid, making sure the latches were secure, and setting the case next to the door to take with him to the club, he glanced at the clock. If he was quick, he had just enough time for a shower before he had to get dressed and leave for sound check.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All my love and appreciation to CastielsHeart for the amazing original song lyrics in this chapter.
> 
> I was only able to fit in about 2/3 of the lyrics they wrote for me. The full version can be found here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1E4sw-wRBCrQ9UHUVRqzHxJm_A0BhlHreqtOYCsO0NtM

You slipped into the club once the music started, not wanting to let Rob know you were here. You had asked the guys not to let him know you were coming. You found a table open in a dark corner and sat down to watch.

As they progressed from song to song, you fell into contemplation. Watching Rob up there on the stage, you’d never know there was anything wrong in his world. Your heart ached, and you wished you could be so blasé as he appeared to be.

As the band wrapped up the main set, you decided to sneak out during the encore before he discovered you. Suddenly Billy caught your eye, just as you were leaving your seat. He glanced over to make sure Rob wasn’t watching, then gave a tiny shake of his head, mouthing “please stay”. You nodded, puzzled, and settled back in as the band filed off the stage, hoping Rob didn’t catch sight of you in the rising lights.

Soon, the sound of “Encore! Encore! Encore!” rose from the audience. The lights dropped back down as the fans cheered the band making their way to the stage. As the guys got settled back into their places, Rob approached the mic.

“Hey guys! So, as you know, we usually close with a little kazoo action, but before we do that, I have a new song for you.” He waited for the noise to finish before scanning the crowd with a gaze.

“I met an amazing person this week. And as per my usual, I completely fucked it up with her in my enthusiasm.” He chuckled softly. “But before I did so, she was kind enough to share with me some writing she keeps in a notebook in her car. I found a kindred spirit. I don’t even know if she’s here tonight, but if she is, I’d like to offer my apology in a language we both speak: a song.”

_Her words were heavenly_  
_Scrawled across the page_  
_Speaking of love and music_  
_And taking my breath away_

_Bouncing on the balls of my feet_  
_Shouldn't have been caught staring_  
_But I just had to see her_  
_So I could feel our souls meet_

 

Your heart stopped as the first strains of the guitar reached you. You knew he’d been working on a few pieces, but never thought he’d already finished one. The melody was the one you’d heard through his door earlier. Is that why he hadn’t answered, because he was writing this?

_She said, "Hey there, Missouri_  
_Why did you take my heart?_  
_Do you think that's smart?”_  
_Wish we could go back to the start._

 

The pain and pleading in his voice combined with the melancholy music was heart wrenching. Looking around, you weren’t the only one affected, either. 

_I wanted to feel those lips_  
_That speak straight to me_  
_But I took too much_  
_And now the scale tips_

_Her presence set me on fire_  
_And my heart took flight_  
_But it all went to shit_  
_With a single stolen kiss_

 

Halfway through the song, you knew. You weren’t going to let this go. You couldn’t.

_The silence is torment_  
_Stupidity steals my voice_  
_I pushed her too far_  
_And now my heart won't beat_

_She said, "Hey there, Missouri_  
_Why did you take my heart?_  
_Do you think that's smart?”_  
_Wish we could go back to the start._

 

Standing up, you started to weave through the audience towards the side of the stage. As you reached the front of the room, your movement caught Rob’s attention and you locked eyes. 

_The people cheer with raised hands_  
_It's all moot without her smile_  
_Such a hole won't be filled_  
_It all ends where she stands_

 

By the time you made it to the stage, you both had tears running down your face. You covered your nose and mouth with your hands as you cried through the rest of the song, marveling at his ability to keep singing through that much emotion, even as his eyes never left yours.

_I could write a thousand songs_  
_Stand in front of a million fans_  
_But it won't matter to me_  
_If she is not there_

 

His apology and his silent _Are we ok?_ was written all over his face. You could only nod in response before he closed his eyes and poured himself into the final lines of the song.

 

_She said, "Hey there, Missouri_  
_Why did you take my heart?_  
_Do you think that's smart?"_  
_Wish we could go back to the start._

You watched as he stepped away from the mic stand and turning slightly from the audience to compose himself. Finally, he turned around to whip the audience into a frenzy with the last song of the night, and you stepped back from the stage, back into the shadows.

You made your way through the departing crowd towards the backstage door, stepping just inside to wait for Rob. As you looked at the pictures dotting the walls, you heard your name whispered behind you, and turned.

Rob was standing there, still panting slightly and flushed from the performance. You gave him a hesitant smile, and he took it as his que to approach. He stopped in front of you and put his hands on your cheeks, just staring for a moment. Finally, he leaned in to kiss you, but stopped short.

You pulled back and looked at him in confusion. “Rob?” You placed your hands over his.

“No.” He shook his head. “I already screwed this up once before. I won’t do it again. I need to be sure. I… can I…?”

Rising up on your toes, you cut him off, surprising both of you as you kissed him this time. You felt his hands place yours on his shoulders and slide down your arms and back to rest on your hips. He groaned, and turned you so he was leaning his back against the wall, holding you tight against him.

“Uh, guys? Rob? Everything kosher here?”

Rob pulled away slightly to smile at the rest of the band from over your shoulder.

“Guys, don’t worry, I’m allowed to do this now.” He cupped a hand behind your head and pulled you back to him. You heard murmuring from the guys behind you, then one of them asking the two of you if you wanted to come for drinks.

“Head on out, guys, we’ll be there in a sec.” As they walked away, Rob looked back down at you. “We should probably actually talk about this at some point.”

You nodded. “Yeah, we should. Continue this after drinks?”

“Yeah we will!” He grinned. “Come on. Let’s catch up before they come looking for us.” Rob gave you one last kiss before edging away from the wall, and offered you his hand.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT!!!! Rating and tags have been updated due to this chapter!! Please review them before proceeding!!

You nursed your fifth drink in the last couple of hours. You hadn’t had much more than bar snacks since lunch, and you were well on your way to buzzed. Correction, you were already buzzed. Things were finally right in your world for the first time in days, and you were celebrating. The weight of Rob’s arm across your shoulders felt good, and you snuggled closer, smiling as you watched him take a drag off his Sierra Nevada and joke around with his bandmates. You were glad to see the stresses of the last few days were gone from his features as well.

You finished your drink, leaning forward to place the empty glass on the table in front of you. Closing your eyes, you settled back into Rob’s side, letting the conversation wash over you.

Rob glanced down to see you falling asleep next to him. He smiled fondly, and nudged you with his shoulder.

You opened your eyes, blinking as you moved your head to see him gazing down at you.

“Getting tired?”

You nodded.

“Come on, I’ll walk you back.” He tossed back the last dregs of his beer and said goodnight to everybody. Taking your hand, he guided you out of the booth and out the door into the cool night air. As you walked, he was the one to break the silence.

“I’m sorry.”

You drew to a stop, turning to face him. He looked at you wistfully, bringing his free hand up to stroke along you lower lip with his thumb, his eyes following his own movement. He flicked his gaze up to your eyes. Dropping his hand, he turned and continued walking, pulling you along with him.

“I have been such an asshole this week.”

You shook your head. “I’m the one who overreacted, both at the bar, and later when you tried to talk to me when we stopped on the way here. I should have known better than to think you would ever use me just to get your kicks. You’re a better person than that. If I had just stayed when it happened, actually let you explain, talked to you…”

By this time, you had made it back to your room. Rob dropped your hand and leaned against the wall, watching as you worked on unlocking the door.

“Yeah, but I should have listened the next morning when you tried to talk to me about it the first time, instead of running away like a coward.”

You finally got the door open and entered the room, beckoning him to follow. He closed the door while you dropped your jacket over a chair and emptied your pockets on the desk. He tossed his hat on the bed, pulling his glasses out of the pocket of his leather jacket and putting them on before dropping the jacket on the bed as well.

He reached out to retake your hand and pulled you up against him as he settled back to lean against the wall next to the door. He drew your arms up around his neck, smoothing his hands down your arms and along your ribs, his palms lightly brushing the sides of your breasts on their way to settle on your hips. You played with the curls at the back of his neck as he sighed and closed his eyes, dropping his head to rest his forehead on yours.

“Look, I’m not the brightest tool in the toolbox, but…”

You interrupted his rambling. “Rob?”

“Yeah?”

You threaded your fingers up into his hair and gave a quick tug, making him open his eyes and look at you. “Shut the fuck up and kiss me already, would you?”

He looked at you, stunned, then brought his hands up to cup your face. He lowered his head, dampening your lower lip with the tip of his tongue. Threading his fingers into the beltloops of your jeans, he pulled you more firmly against him as he took your lip between his teeth and tugged.

You gasped. Suddenly, Rob pushed away from the wall and spun the two of you around. One hand slapped against the wall beside your head to stop the turn, while the other slid around to the small of your back to keep you firmly against him. Your fingers in his hair gave another tug, and you moaned into his kiss.

One more tug, and he growled, pinning you to the wall with his hips. His freed hands reached up to grab yours out of his hair. Still kissing you, he brought your arms up, holding them tightly to the wall over your head by the wrists. He gripped your wrists in one hand and tangled the other in your hair.

You pulled against his grip, testing his strength. Realizing that you were trapped shot a bolt of heat straight to your core, and you threw your head back, moaning as you rolled your hips against his.

Rob chuckled darkly, pulling your head to the side. He lowered his head to murmur in your ear. “Oh, you like that. I’ll have to remember that for later.” He started kissing and nipping his way down your exposed throat as he ground his hard length into you. You rolled your hips again, desperate for the friction.

“Rob…” You whimpered as his lips met yours again. “Rob, please…”

He raised his head to look at you, sliding his hand out of your hair to cup your breast, rolling your nipple between his fingers through the fabric there. “Please what, love? I need your words.”

You ground your hips against his one more time. “Please, touch me.”

You whined as he stepped away and released you, only to suddenly find yourself facing the wall with your wrists once again pinned over your head, his grip almost painful. His free hand slid under the front of your shirt to trail his fingers along the band of your bra beneath your breasts, following it until he discovered the clasp at the center front.

He lowered his mouth to your ear. “Well, isn’t that convenient?” His hot breath there made you shudder. He dipped his head further to nibble the skin just below your ear as he popped open the clasp. His hand came up to lightly circle your nipple with one calloused fingertip. Sliding his thumb up along the curve of your breast, he started kissing along your neck as he rolled your nipple between his fingers. The brush of his beard against the sensitive skin where your neck met your shoulder drew another shudder out of you. Without warning, he bit down on your shoulder as he firmly pinched your nipple between his thumb and index finger. The shock of pain made you cry out and arch your back.

He slid his hand down to your lower belly to hold you in place as he ground himself into your ass. “Fuck, that was hot,” he growled in your ear. His voice was husky from the concert and from lust. “We’ll be exploring that later too, I think.” As he talked, he worked open the button of your jeans and lowered the zipper. He slipped his hand down the front of your panties, simply teasing for a moment before sliding his middle finger deep into you. “Shit, you’re so damned wet already,” he moaned.

His fingers held you open, exposing your clit as the other finger glided up and around, never quite touching it. You bucked your hips in an effort to get pressure where you needed it most.

“Nope.” He pulled his hand back, using it to press you back against him. “No moving. I’m in control here right now. Move, and I’ll stop, leaving you hanging the rest of the night, understood?”

The words slipped out of your mouth before you realized it, your submissive tendencies coming alive. “Yes, Sir.”

“Mmm, Sir. I like that.” He slid his fingers back down to resume stroking you, again avoiding your clit, occasionally brushing up against it as they circled. He dipped two fingers down inside you and drew them back up, finally stroking your clit before pressing down and fluttering his fingers against you. He repeated the motions as your breath grew more and more ragged. Soon you were right on the edge of coming. He gave one more stroke to your clit, then removed his fingers, denying you that final push off the cliff. You started to buck your hips, chasing your release, then stopped yourself as you remembered Rob’s threat. All you could do was hold still and tremble, waiting for your body to cool down and relax.

“Good girl.” Then his fingers were on you again, bringing you back to the brink and stopping once more. You focused on your breathing to keep from moving. Then he did it again. You hadn’t even come all the way back down before he did it again. This time you had no chance to recover before he slid two long fingers inside you, slowly thrusting in and out. Enough to keep you from coming down, but not quite enough to let you come.

“Fuck, I could edge you like this all god damned day long.” Just the thought made you whimper. He chuckled. “But I won’t, not this time at least. Because do you know what the one thought that has been on my mind since the moment I saw you is?” You shook your head.

“I wonder what she sounds like when she comes.” With that, he released your wrists to wrap his arm around your waist. Kicking your feet further apart, he slid his fingers up to firmly rub circles over your clit, gradually picking up speed until your orgasm punched the air out of your lungs and your knees gave out as you convulsed in his arms, keening.

He kept rubbing until you finally went limp against him, panting. He kissed your temple, removing his hand from between your legs. “Shit baby, that was beautiful.”

Sliding his free arm behind your knees, he gently lifted you and placed you on the bed, moving his things to the chair and placing his glasses on the desk.

He finished pulling your jeans down and off, standing to kick his shoes off and strip down to his boxers and undershirt.

Retrieving a glass of water from the bathroom, he sat you up and coaxed you to drink some of it before setting the rest on the nightstand. He laid you out on your front so he could massage the still trembling muscles in your back and legs. You were asleep within minutes. He smiled at you fondly, then stripped back the blankets. Waking you up just enough to move you, he tucked you up against his side and pulled the covers up over you both, stroking your hair and murmuring to you until you drifted back off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to go up on Sunday, but between Mother's Day and the servers being down...
> 
> Anyways, enjoy.

The sunlight shining in your eyes woke you. Did you really have so much to drink that you forgot to pull the shades when you came in last night? Stretching, you idly wondered why your muscles were sore. It was super warm under the blankets, and you really needed to pee. You scrubbed your face into your pillow for a moment before going to get up.

You realized something had you pinned down by the waist, and froze to assess the situation.

The arm around your waist kept you tucked tightly against a solid chest and torso. Lithe legs intertwined with your own, and you heard light snoring. Tiny puffs of breath and the slight scratch of scruff on the back of your neck, and the feel of the start of morning wood nestled up against your ass. What… oh.

Your eyes flew open as the memories of the night before came flooding back to you. The concert, Rob’s apology, making up over drinks. Being blissfully pinned to the wall and submitting to Rob as he edged you over and over again before making you come so hard that apparently you blacked out… You felt fresh wetness between your thighs remembering all of it. You tried and failed to recall what came after, how you had come to be curled up in your bed half dressed, with Rob snuggled up tight against your back.

Your movements must have woken him, as you felt his arm tighten around you and pull you tighter against him. He nuzzled the back of your neck and ground himself against your ass, inhaling sharply.

“Mmm, morning.”

“Morning.” You sat up as casually as you could, trying not to tip him off to your internal freak out. Your mind raced as you stretched your arms over your head and turned each way to try to relieve the soreness in your back. You felt him shift in the bed behind you, trying not to melt as you felt his hands start kneading the knots out of your muscles. Those long fingers, so nimble over the neck of a guitar and calloused from years of playing, that just last night had played you like…

“Sore?” You nodded, absently rubbing at your wrists. He stopped, gently reaching out to grab your hand and turn it over, inspecting the finger shaped bruises around your wrist. He let go and took the other, looking it over as well. “Did I do that? Are you ok?”

“Yeah.” You pulled your hand out of his.

He felt you stiffen up. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” You turned toward him with a wan smile on your face. “Hey, I’m gonna grab a shower. Order us some breakfast? We should eat something before we meet up with the guys to go.” Standing up, you pulled out of his embrace to rummage through your suitcase for clean clothes.

“Yeah, ok. And we’ll stop somewhere on the way out to get some arnica cream for those bruises.” He hesitated. “Hey, come on. What’s wrong? Can we talk about this?”

You sighed, setting the clothes on the bed. Crossing back to him, you put your hands on his knees and leaned in to give him a peck on the mouth. “Over breakfast? Right now, I really do need that shower. SOMEBODY left me all sweaty and sticky last night.”

“Yeah, ok.” He grinned, and pressed a soft kiss to your lips. “Go, before I pull you back down here and REALLY make you need that shower.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You stepped out of the bathroom, feeling better for having cleaned up. You had finally gotten the last of the tension out of your back and shoulders under the hot water, and the only thing still sore was your wrists. You pushed the last strands of your damp hair back out your face and dropped the brush back into your suitcase, pausing only to snag an elastic and tie your hair back into a quick ponytail.

Rob was seated on the bed, working on his breakfast. A second plate with eggs and bacon sat on the desk, along with a platter of fruit. You sat down, passing over the pineapple and loading the open space on your plate with the grapes and watermelon, snagging some crackers and cheese off another tray, and settling in to enjoy.

After a bit, Rob scraped the last of the food off his plate and got up to place the dish on the desk. He gently took the fork out of your hand and set it down. You let him pull you across the room back to the bed. He sat down, and tugged you down to sit on his lap, straddling his waist. He looked down at your wrist and grimaced.

“Wow, I really did a number on you, didn’t I?”

You grinned, taking your hand back and stroking his lips and the white patch in his beard with your thumb. He nipped at it as it passed his mouth.

“Yeah, but like you said, a bit of arnica cream, and I’ll be good as new. Besides, I seem to remember you doing quite the number on the rest of me too. And if you’ll recall, I wasn’t exactly complaining.” You leaned in to kiss him deeply, your tongue chasing his for a moment.

He finally broke the kiss, panting, and looked up at you. “You seemed a bit spooked this morning when we got up.”

You rested your forehead on his with a sigh. “Yeah, I was a bit, I guess. I mean, you fangirl over someone for so long, maybe fancy yourself a little bit in love with them. But it’s ok, because it’s just a bit of harmless fantasy, and you know nothing will ever come of it, you know? Then this happened, and last night happened, and it’s so overwhelming, it's so much. And waking up with you still next to me, after all that? Yeah, I guess I panicked a little.”

“You’re good now?”

You nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”

You leaned in and kissed him again. He breathed in deeply, and pulled your hips closer to him. He deepened the kiss, and you could feel him growing hard. You rocked against him in reflex, and he pulled back, groaning.

“No… no.” He punctuated each no with a peck on your lips, and gently pushed you away. You reluctantly got off his lap. “I still need to shower, you need to finish eating, and we both need to pack. The rest of them will come looking for us soon.” He gave you a hug and stood up.

“Rob?” He turned to look at you sitting on the bed. “Can we… can we keep this between us, just for now? I know the guys know we made up, but I don’t want them to know about this, not yet. At least until we figure things out?”

He crossed back over to you and pulled you up into another hug. “Of course. Now, go eat. I’ll see you at the car. It’s your turn to drive.” Grinning, he dropped a kiss on top of your head and walked out the door.

You smiled and returned to the desk to finish your breakfast.


	15. Chapter 15

You finally got your things collected and packed, and headed for the car. A couple of the guys had already placed their gear in ahead of you. You took a moment to rearrange everything before sliding your suitcase in and shutting the hatch. You jumped as the sudden appearance of Stephen’s reflection in the window startled you. Turning around, you took in his shit-eating grin.

“How long have you been standing there? I thought you went with the others to pick up road snacks.”

Stephen schooled his expression into a neutral one, placing his hands in his pockets and leaning one shoulder against the back of the car. “Nah. I stayed back to see if you needed any help loading up. I see you have it well in hand though.” He paused. “So, I guess you and Robbie had a good time making up last night?”

You nudged him aside to open the hatch again and tossed his bag in with the rest, giving yourself a moment to think. “We… talked, yes.”

“That was one of the most enthusiastic ‘talks’ I have ever heard.”

Shit. You looked at him. “What makes you think it was anything more than that?”

He threw his head back, laughing. “I had the room right next to yours, remember? Hotel walls are notoriously thin and lacking in soundproofing. And it’s not MY fault you scream like a schoolgirl on a rollercoaster.”

You hung your head, covering your face with your hands in mortification. You swore a few times before looking back up at him. “Please don’t say anything to the others? We’re still figuring things out, and we’d like to have that discussion between ourselves before trying to have it with anyone else, ok?” Thinking for a moment, you fixed him with a glare. “And no teasing Rob!”

He feigned a pout. “Aww, take all the fun out of it why don’t you?” You watched as he sighed before continuing. “Just don’t keep it quiet for too long, yeah? The guys and I really are rooting for the two of you, and I can’t guarantee they won’t start meddling if you do.”

His glance over your shoulder was your only warning before you felt a strong pair of arms circle your waist from behind. You gasped as Rob peppered kisses up your neck to nuzzle behind your ear, the soft scruff of his beard tickling your skin.

“Well, that’s my cue.” Stephen pushed off the car and started to walk away. He called back over his shoulder, “Hey, Rob?”

“Yeah man?”

“Next time, use a muzzle?”

Your jaw dropped, and Rob looked up from where he was nipping at your jawline to glare at him as he laughed and continued walking away to check on the others.

“What was that all about?”

You tipped your head to rest against Rob’s. “He knows. Apparently we were a bit loud last night.”

“Oh shit.” He pulled you around to face him. “Are you ok with that? I know you were concerned about it.”

You shrugged and smiled up at him. “Yeah, I’m ok. It was bound to get out at some point, right? And he promised not to say anything.”

His eyes searched your face for a moment, then he nodded. “Ok.”

You slid a hand around the back of his neck to pull his head down to yours. “Besides,” you said as you nipped your way across that white patch in his beard and along his jaw, paying special attention to a particularly sensitive spot you discovered behind his ear. “Last night WAS pretty damn hot. I didn’t know you had such a dominant streak in you. I like it.” You kissed him hard, taking his lower lip in your teeth and tugging before backing away.

He groaned and took hold of your wrists, pulling them around behind your back as he backed you up until your arms were pinned between your body and the side of the car. “Keep them there,” he growled in your ear. Then in his usual tone, “I normally don’t.” He threaded his fingers into your hair and tightened his fist around the strands. “There’s just something about you that brings it out in me.” With that, he tugged your head to the side and bit down where your shoulder met your neck, rubbing the scruff on his cheek over the sore spot as he kissed down your shoulder. He ground his renewed erection into you at the same time as he bit you, and you cried out.

“Well, that answers that question.”

Your eyes slid closed in humiliation as Mike’s voice sounded across the parking lot. Rob ground into you one more time, moaning into your neck before letting you up. “We’ll finish this later, I promise,” he murmured into your ear.

You nodded, and turned to glare at Stephen. He simply shook his head and brought his hands up as if to say _Don’t look at me, I didn’t say anything._

Billy shook his head and chuckled at the look you shot Stephen. “Wasn’t him. We all kinda had an idea you guys might finally get over yourselves and make things official after you left the bar last night. This just confirmed things.”

You dropped your head down against Rob, and he slid his arm around your shoulders. “Alright guys, we get it. You know. What do you say we get on the road? We’ve got a long drive ahead of us today. Who’s got the keys?” He made a one-handed catch as Stephen tossed them to him, then handed them to you. Rob loaded his gear into the car and shut the hatch as everyone climbed into the car, leaving the front seat open so Rob could sit next to you. Finally, you were able to put the car in gear and pull out onto the highway as the guys started distributing snacks for later. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------  
A few miles up the road, Rob pulled out a copy of the set list to review and edit. You watched him out of the corner of your eye as he circled some things, crossed out others, and made notes in the margins. About halfway down the list he stopped, tapping his pen on the notebook in his lap.

“You should sing with us tomorrow.”

His casual statement startled you enough that you hit the brakes harder than you intended. Thankfully, you had already turned off the main road into a parking lot for gas, and there was nobody behind you to cause an accident. You shot him a scowl before pulling into the nearest pump.

“Bit of a non-sequitur there, don’t you think, Mr. Benedict? And you’re crazy, no.”

He opened his door and stood to talk to you across the roof of the car while you got out to pump the gas. “Come on, please? We’ll do Hallelujah. I remember you sounding pretty damned amazing on that one.”

You got the gas going and leaned up against the car. “Rob, no. I’m not a singer.”

Rob circled the car and wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you around so you were held firmly against his front, while his back was against the car. He spread his legs so you could stand between them.

“Please?”

“No.”

He slid one hand down your arm before gently wrapping it around yours, bringing it up to his face. Rob turned his head, placing soft kisses on the pulse point on your inner wrist. He looked up at you through his eyelashes.

“I’ll make it well worth your while afterwards.”

Your breath hitched. The little shit knew exactly what he was doing. “You should know that I am very hard to bribe.” You rolled your hips against his to emphasize the word ‘hard’. His moan vibrated against the skin of your wrist, and you swallowed hard to avoid letting loose your own moan. Well, that certainly backfired…

Turned out Rob had one weapon left in his arsenal. He lowered your hand and wrapped his around the back of your neck, pulling you up into a kiss.

“How about this? If you don’t come up and sing with me, I will sing and point at you. The. Entire. Time.” He punctuated the last three words with a peck on the lips between each one.

You dropped your head to his chest and groaned. “And now you’re blackmailing me? You really are an asshole.”

He chuckled, dropping a kiss on the top of your head. “Yeah, but I’m your asshole.”

You huffed. Hearing the gas pump click off, you pushed yourself up away from him and turned to put the nozzle away.

“Ugh, fine. You win. But I’m only doing it once, then never again.”

“I’ll take it. For now.” He pulled your door open for you, closing it behind you before walking around to get in on his side. Mike piped up as you were securing your seatbelt.

“Verdict?”

Rob turned around in his seat and grinned at the band, holding out his hand. “Pay up, guys. She said yes!”

You stared at Rob in shock. “You… you took wagers on me?!”

He gave you a contrite look. “Uh, I, um, I, uh… yes?”

You scowled at him for a moment, then sat back with a huff. As you reached for the ignition, you glanced over. “You’re buying dinner tonight. Now all of you shut up and pass me some of those cookies.”

He gave a small salute as you started the car and pulled away from the pump.

“Roger that.”


	16. Chapter 16

Several hours later, you were awoken as the car pulled into the hotel parking lot. Somewhere along the way, you had stopped again for gas and lunch. You turned the driving over to Stephen and curled up in the middle seats with Rob, your head resting in his lap. You fell asleep to the feel of his fingers carding through your hair.

You and Rob walked to the hotel office to check in. He gave his name to the clerk and waited patiently for her to pull up the reservation.

“Ok, Reservation for Benedict for three double rooms for two nights. I just need an ID and credit card to…”

“Wait a minute,” Rob interrupted her. “There should have been four rooms.”

She checked her computer again. “I’m sorry sir. The reservation only lists three rooms.”

He glanced at you, then back at the clerk. “Ok. Is there any way to still get the fourth room?”

More keystrokes. “I’m sorry. We are booked solid. There’s a fairly popular indie band in town tomorrow, and we have a lot of their fans staying with us the next few days.”

Rob wiped a hand down his face at the irony. “Yeah, I heard we were playing here. Good to know we’ll have a decent turnout at least.”

“I’m sorry, we just don’t have…” She gave him a puzzled look. “We?” You could see the moment she connected the dots in her mind. “Oh my God. You’re… and we… Um, excuse me just one moment.”

Rob hung his head and sighed as she walked off, presumably to find her manager.

He shook his head, then looked up at you. “I mean, I suppose we could make three work. The guys and I can pair up, and you can have the third. Stephen and I need to finalize the set list anyways. It’ll be tight quarters, but…”

You stopped him, stepping into his space and placing a hand on his chest. “Rob, I…”

He looked down at you and tucked a stray lock of hair back behind your ear. “What is it?”

“I just…” You hesitated, not sure if you were about to scare him off or not. “I… Maybe it’s too soon… Feel free to say no…”

He cupped your face in both hands and stepped into your space until he was flush up against your front. That dominant look that you were rapidly becoming addicted to colored his features. “C’mon girl. Spit it out.”

You swallowed hard. “Rob, I… Will you share with me? Let the guys sort the rest between themselves?”

Rob’s expression softened, and he smiled. “I would love to.” He leaned in to drop a gentle kiss on your lips.

You were interrupted by the return of the clerk, manager in tow. The manager greeted the two of you and listened as Rob reviewed the issue with her. She checked the computer one more time, then shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I just don’t have anything.”

Rob nodded his head in resignation. He pulled the credit card out of his wallet to hand over for the deposit. A couple more moments of discussion and a sizeable discount (which he tried to decline, but the manager insisted he accept for the inconvenience) and you finally left the office, keys in hand.

You pocketed yours and started unloading bags from the car while Rob explained the situation to the guys. You could see them joking around, probably poking fun at Rob for sharing with you while leaving the rest of them to decide who was shacking up with whom. At one point, Rob had one hand in his pocket, pointing at Stephen with the other in mock warning. Meanwhile, Stephen had his hands up in front of him in a placating gesture, a grin on his face. You suspected he had offered to swap with Rob in bunking with you.

You leaned up against the side of the car with your hands in your pockets. A fond smile crossed your face as you watched the guys horse around with each other. It was crazy to think that just a week ago, you were just another fangirl in their world. And now, you got to call them your friends. And Rob…

That had been the biggest surprise of all. You still weren’t sure you weren’t dreaming this whole thing. Things like that just didn’t happen to someone like you.

The smile dropped from your face as that last thought crossed your mind. Things like Rob really didn’t happen to a nobody like you. You knew where your heart lay, somewhere between loving the man and being IN love with him.

But for him? You had no idea if he was anywhere near the same place you were in all this, or if this was just a tour fling. The thought had a tear running down your cheek. Just as the insecurity had you wrapping your arms around yourself, you saw Billy nod toward you, prompting Rob to turn and look.

The playful grin on his face was wiped out by a look of concern when he saw you. He turned back to say a couple more words to the guys and hand them the keys, then jogged across to you. You dropped your head and turned it away, trying to hide your tears from him. It didn’t work. He came to a stop in front of you and started running his hands up and down your upper arms to try to sooth you, ducking his head in an attempt to get you to look at him.

“Hey, what is it?” You shook your head, embarrassed that he was witness to your breakdown. “C’mon, talk to me. What happened?” You couldn’t hide the moment you started to sob. He gently gathered you into his chest, one arm around your back and cradling the back of your hand with his free hand. Resting his chin on top of your head, he simply held you, humming a mindless tune and rocking back and forth slightly as he let you cry it out. At one point he raised his head and shook it, silently asking the others to stay back and let him handle things.

Finally your sobs gave way to shuddering breaths. You slowly released your grip on the front of his dampened shirt, and he tucked a knuckle under your chin to lift your face to his. Your eyes slid closed as he placed a light kiss on your forehead and cupped your cheek with his hand.

“Hey, look at me.” You returned your eyes to his. He carefully wiped the tears from your cheek with a swipe of his thumb.

“Now, what was that all about?”

You tried to turn your head away again, but he firmed up his hold on your face and prevented you from doing so.

“Talk to me.”

“Rob, I…” You glanced over to where the guys were still standing, then back to him in a silent plea. “It’s been a long day. Please, can we put a pin in it, just for now? I promise we’ll talk later, yeah?”

He searched your face for a moment, then sighed. “Yeah, ok.” He pressed another kiss to your forehead, then one to your lips. He reached into your pocket for the room key and placed it in your hand. “Why don’t you head on up? Grab a shower and wash the day off. I’ll bring the bags up in a bit and get you for dinner, ok?” Bringing his other hand up to wipe the rest of your tears from your face, he brushed the hair out of your eyes and kissed you one more time.

You nodded, and turned to walk away, checking the room number engraved on the key, as Rob gestured to his bandmates to come help unload the rest of the gear.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gods, you guys are amazing. That I'm still getting hits and kudos after a three month hiatus stuns me. So, good news and bad news.
> 
> Good news: I'm back up and writing this pairing, both for this story and a new one I recently posted (Go find Bring It, Benedict in my listings if you want to read it.) 
> 
> Bad news: I don't have any extraneous chapters for this story lying around to start posting on the regular yet. So I can't promise when I'll be able to start back up with that. Just know that I am writing again and eagerly anticipating bringing you more of this story. But in celebration of that, here is the ACTUAL Chapter 17 I originally wrote before things went haywire. Still just as angsty as the hiatus version though.

Dinner was a quiet affair. The five of you took over a couple of tables in a back corner of the restaurant. You spent most of the meal picking at your food, eating just enough to satisfy Rob’s watchful eye, and speaking only when spoken to. You watched them hash out the final details for the show the next evening. Where the band was finishing the night with a few beers, you stuck to water. Your stomach was queasy from the thought of the conversation you had promised Rob you would have after dinner.

He had arrived at the room with your bag just as you were stepping out of the shower. He placed it on one of the beds, grabbed the room key, and headed back out to retrieve his own, giving you the privacy to get changed.

You were dressed and finishing brushing out your damp hair when he returned. You watched him drop his bag and guitar case on the second bed. Afraid that his choosing the separate bed confirmed your fears, you paused your ministrations and looked up at him.

Rob didn’t miss your hesitation. He crossed the room to you and gently took the brush from your hand, setting it aside on the counter. Taking your hands in his, he let them hang at your sides as he tried again to get you to talk to him. You could tell that your continued refusal was frustrating him, but you knew there wasn’t time right now to properly have that conversation, and swore up and down that you would talk after dinner. He was far from happy about it, but finally sighed and let the subject drop. Grateful, you leaned up to kiss him, and let him lead you by the hand to join the guys at the car and head to dinner.

Finally, you gave up on eating. You leaned your head on Rob’s shoulder and listened as they moved from concert planning to simply joking around. He wrapped his arm around you and glanced down.

“Ready to go?” You looked up at him and nodded.

He got the attention of the others and suggested they pay the check and head back to the hotel for the night. “I need to get this one to bed for some well-deserved rest.”

Mike grinned and waggled his eyebrows suggestively, but was taken aback at Rob’s frown and shake of his head.

You let yourself and Rob into the room. You stopped in front of your bed, your arms crossed in front and your back still to Rob, unsure how to start the conversation.

The door shut behind you. A moment later, Rob pressed up against your back and wrapped his arms around yours. He rested his chin on your shoulder as he pleaded with you.

“Please baby, just talk to me. We were doing so well. What happened? Did I do something? Just tell me, please. Whatever it is, I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me.”

You sighed and pulled away from him to sit on the end of the nearest bed. “I don’t know if you CAN fix this one, Rob.” You dropped your head, watching your tears leave wet spots on your jeans where they fell.

You felt hands part your knees, and looked up as Rob fell to his knees between your legs, his face stricken. He took your face in both hands and leaned forward to rest his forehead against yours.

“No, sweetheart, please. I’m begging you, let me try.”

You pulled back slightly to look at him, his behavior confusing you in light of your beliefs about your relationship. He dropped his hands to rub your thighs, and you nodded.

“I first discovered Swain at one of the conventions in Seattle a couple of years back. I’ll admit, you hadn’t really registered on my radar yet at that point. Sure, I knew who you were, who you played, but…”

You shrugged. “Then you walked out on that stage with the band, exuding confidence and stage presence, and just the right amount of sex. By the end of the show, I was hooked. I spent the next few months watching panels and SNS concerts on YouTube as the convention season continued. I was piecing together who you were outside your character from the bits and fragments you chose to share with us. By my next con, in Vancouver, I was pretty damned smitten with what I saw. I even organized the lights for She Waits…”

“THAT’S why you seemed familiar!”

You smiled a little. “I brought a set of the candles to you guys at Swain’s signing on Sunday. I remember holding one out to you, and the look of awe on your face as you took it and talked about what it meant to you. I don’t even remember exactly what you said, just the gist of it. I was too busy getting lost in that crystal blue gaze in front of me. You were looking at me like, at least in that short moment, that I was worth something, that I meant something to you.”

“You do mean something to me!”

You silenced his protests with a finger on his lips. Oh how you would miss those soft lips when he inevitably got tired of you and walked away. And that’s assuming you even made it through this confession without him packing his bag back up and leaving you to room with one of the others. Gently pushing him aside, you got up and stepped away. Something about your bearing, your back to him with your hands in your pockets, staring at nothing, warned him to let you have your space for the moment. He rose from the floor to take over your spot on the bed.

You stood quietly for a moment, contemplating your next words. Finally you sighed and nodded to yourself, and turned back to him.

“Rob, I need to know what all of this, of us, is to you. Are we just having a good time while we’re on the road, saying see ya later when we get to Seattle, never to see each other again aside from crossing paths at the occasional con or concert?”

He slowly stood up, as if not to startle you, and crossed the room to you. It took everything you had not to break down when he pulled you in against his chest and held you there. You stayed like that for a minute before you pulled back to look him in the eye.

“Because I can’t do that, Rob. I just can’t. You know I love you, but I am damned close to being IN love with you. And if you aren’t right there with me…” Your lip trembled as tears filled your eyes again. You drew in a shaky breath, trying to compose yourself. “If you aren’t at that point with me, then I have to walk away now. Because if we keep going, and I get into this any deeper, it’s going to destroy me when we get to the end of this tour and you walk away.”

He absently reached up to brush a lock of hair out of your face, his hand coming to rest on your cheek. You could almost see the gears turning in his mind as his eyes searched yours. Soon, one too many seconds had ticked by, and you pushed away from him with a sob. At least now you had your answer.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why yes, this IS the resolution to the cliffhanger I left you with at the end of 17. Please don't hurt me for keeping this back from you guys.
> 
> It's looking like my new posting schedule is gonna look like posting one chapter once I have the following one finished, interspersed with completely unrelated one shots here and there (No, seriously. I've posted two Rob/Billy pieces in the last two days. Go check them out when you are done here if that's your thing). So, here you are getting Ch 18 because I just finished writing 19 and am starting on 20. You're still not getting anything more on this story more than once a week, because I am still hoping to get far enough ahead to go back to a weekly posting schedule, and this story in the next chapter just took a sharp right turn from where it was supposed to go, and I have to figure out exactly where that is now. But I also don't want to leave you guys hanging for so long that you start to wonder if I've abandoned this.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

As you turned to walk away, you were stopped by Rob’s hand around your wrist. You had just barely turned back before he hauled you back to him. You slammed into his chest with his hands cupping your face, and he swallowed your startled gasp with a kiss, long and slow and deep.

After a long while, he pulled away just far enough to rest his forehead on yours.

“Fuck, girl. For as good as I am with music and lyrics, I am absolutely shit with words apparently.

Rob ran his knuckles gently along your jaw before leaning in to kiss you again. He stroked down your arms before taking your hands to walk backwards towards the bed. He sat down, guiding you to straddle his knees and sit. He grabbed you by the hips and pulled you closer in to his body.

“This,” he gestured between you, “was the absolute last thing I expected when we got in touch with you. I figured at best we would get someone levelheaded that wouldn’t spend the week being a screaming fangirl. I never expected to meet a beautiful kindred spirit, whose soul spoke the same language as mine.”

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind your ear and continued. “I am absolutely right there with you. I love you, and I can easily see being IN love with you. Yes, I have to go home to LA in a few days, while you have to return to Portland. But, in here, where it counts?” He took your hand and placed it on his chest over his heart, his hand over yours. “In here, I am not going anywhere. I swear, we will find a way to see each other, somehow.”

He hooked a hand around the back of your head and pulled you down for a kiss.

You responded with a low moan, scooting forward on his thighs to close the gap between you. You could feel him growing hard beneath you as you ground down on him.

Rob groaned and laid back on the bed, drawing you down on top of him. Breaking the kiss, you nipped along his jawline to scrape your teeth over the white patch in his beard. You gasped as he grabbed your hips and pulled you down as he thrust up into you.

“God, you drive me crazy. Oh, fuck. Please, beautiful. I suck with words, but let me show you how I feel about you. Please.”

You smiled and cut off his rambling with a hand over his mouth. “Rob! Rob.” You watched as his eyes searched yours. “Rob, just shut up and kiss me already.”

He groaned and pulled your hand off his mouth so he could lean up and kiss you. With one arm around your waist, he held you against him as he flipped both of you over so you were on your back with him over you.

You scooted back a ways so you were fully on the bed. Rob moved to join you. He leaned in to kiss you, taking his time. This wasn’t the frenzied flurry from the other night. You sighed contentedly as he trailed soft, slow kisses along your jaw and down your neck. The contrast between the velvet of his lips and the scrape of his mustache and beard as he nuzzled the sensitive spot behind your ear was slowly stoking the heat deep down in your belly. You gasped as he gently bit down on another sensitive spot he found where your neck met your shoulder.

A quiet whine escaped you as he sat back, but he simply pulled you up with him. He slid his hands up under your shirt, exploring your skin, skimming his fingertips along your spine to undo the hooks on your bra as he kissed you. Finally, he traced his fingers down your sides to grab the hem of your shirt, breaking the kiss as he lifted it up and off, taking your bra with it.

The look in his eyes was indecipherable as he laid you down. Slightly uncomfortable under his stare, you started to cover yourself.

Rob caught the movement and carefully grabbed your wrists. “Please don’t hide, not from me. You are so fucking beautiful.” He drew your hands up over your head and held them in place. “Keep those there.”

Letting go, he dropped a peck on your lips. Shifting down slightly, he kissed you at the base of your throat. He worked his way down your chest, ignoring your breasts entirely, instead placing small kisses, nips, and kitten licks on your skin until he reached the waist of your jeans. The heated glance he sent you as he undid your pants with one hand pushed your arousal straight to the edge, and you arched your hips towards his hand, desperately searching for the friction that would ease the ache between your legs.

Instead, he backed away to pull your pants and underwear down and off, contending with your shoes and socks in the process. He knelt down on the end of the bed for a moment, simply taking in your flushed face and the length of your body stretched out in front of him. His voice was hushed as he looked you in the eye.

“Holy shit, I am so fucking lucky.”

You blushed. “Rob, please…”

He crawled back up your body for a moment to kiss you. “Shh, I’ve got you, beautiful. At the moment, though, I’m feeling a bit overdressed.”

Standing up, he pulled his shirt off, grinning when he caught you staring. He stood up a little straighter, pulling his shoulders back as he kicked off his shoes and started to undo his belt, dragging it slowly out of the beltloops to lay it on the edge of the bed.

Rob raised an eyebrow as he watched your gaze flick towards the belt and back to his face, continuing to undo his pants and dropping them and his boxer briefs to the floor. He stepped out of them and kicked them to the side.

You bit your lower lip as you took him in. “Damn, babe. I think I’m the lucky one here.”

He just smirked, hooking his hands behind your knees and drawing them up, spreading you open. Placing your legs over his shoulders, he lowered his head. You cried out as he ran his tongue up over your opening to flick over your clit once, twice.

“Aw hell, baby. You taste even better than you look.”

You whined as you tried to arch your hips towards him, but he slid an arm across and pinned them to the bed. “Rob, please! I’m so close.”

Rob grinned at you form between your legs. “Damn right you are.” He reached out to flick his tongue over your clit again, drawing another whimper from you.

He caught your wrist as you forgot his orders and reached down to tangle your fingers in his hair. “Ah, ah, ah. What did I tell you?” He raised up and replaced your hand over your head, squeezing your wrists together. You closed your eyes as he put pressure on the still sore bruises from before. “Now, leave those there. You move them again, I’m not letting you come. Got it?”

You nodded and opened your eyes. You watched him look around for something. He caught your eye and held it as he reached for his belt and coiled it around his hand. Your eyes widened. Surely he wouldn’t…?

Instead, he simply stretched forward, placing his free hand on the mattress beside you. He gently stroked the coiled belt down your cheek before setting it on the pillow next to your head. Leaning down, he whispered in your ear. “Just in case.” The combination of his words and the brush of his scruff sent a shudder through you.

He smiled. “Liked that, did you?” You nodded, panting. “Then you’re going to love this. Well, as long as you behave, anyways.” With that, he slid his arm back across your hips to hold you still and lowered his face to you again.

You almost came at the feel of his tongue penetrating you, sliding up to circle your clit before entering you again. You tried to grind down on his face, trying to get enough friction to come, but his arm kept you pinned down as he repeated the motions a third time.

He stopped to readjust. You were about to protest when you felt him slide two fingers into you right before he sealed his lips around your clit and began a gentle suction as he crooked his fingers inside you. You whimpered, right on the edge but still needing just a little bit more. Finally he slid his free hand up to caress your breast once before pinching your nipple between his fingers.

You came screaming his name, bucking your hips as he simply let you ride out your orgasm on his tongue and fingers.

Rob sat back on his heels and raised a hand to his face, wiping your come from his beard. “Son of a bitch, I somehow forgot just how fucking hot you are when you come.”

You thrilled in the feel of his weight as he stretched out on top of you. His cock slotted in along the crook of your hip. He nuzzled the side of his face against yours and asked, “You’re sure about this?”

You nodded and pressed your hips up against his. He gasped at the sudden pressure and ground into you. “Rob, please! I need you.”

He slid one hand up your arm and took your wrists firmly in his grasp. He smirked. “I do so like it when you beg.” His free hand hooked under your knee, pulling your leg up around his waist and lined himself up. In one smooth thrust, he entered you, not stopping until he was buried in you to the hilt.

You didn’t even have time to adjust before he pulled out and slammed back into you. You cried out, pulling a bit against Rob’s grip on your wrists. He responded by putting more weight on your arms, using the leverage to snap his hips into you harder and faster. You hooked your other leg over his hips as well, allowing him to get even deeper. The new angle let him hit against your clit with every thrust. Your world narrowed down to nothing but sensation and the sound of Rob murmuring in your ear about how beautiful you were and how amazing you felt.

Rob’s thrusts started to falter just as you were getting close. He started mumbling gibberish, then bit down hard at the crook of your neck as he buried himself deep inside of you. He ground into you as he came, and the friction and the pain of the bite finally triggered your second orgasm.

You must have screamed again, because the next thing you registered was a pounding on the wall followed by Stephen’s muffled plea to Rob to buy you a damned muzzle in the morning.

Rob looked down at you for a moment, before you both burst out laughing. He reached up and pounded on the wall, making obscene noises until you heard Stephen swear and turn up the TV. Rob pulled out and fell over on his back next to you as you tried to catch your breath through the giggles. He leaned up on one elbow to give you a quick peck on the lips before getting up and walking into the bathroom to clean up. You couldn’t resist checking out his bare ass as he crossed the room, letting out a wolf whistle as he went.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this thing took a sudden left turn into hardcore kink that I never ever intended it to take. But apparently Rob had other plans and refused to be dissuaded. 
> 
> If that's not your thing, I THINK you can reasonably skip everything post-concert in this chapter and the entirety of the next when it posts and not lose much if any of the storyline. Chapter 21 will HOPEFULLY return to your regularly scheduled programming...

Once again, you woke up in the morning in Rob’s arms. Instead of panicking though, this time you simply turned over to burrow deeper into his embrace. You hummed happily as his arms tightened around you and he nuzzled your hair. You looked up to be greeted with those blue eyes and a sleepy smile. 

“Hey.”

“Mmm, morning.” You moved to stretch, and yelped when he reached out and lightly tickled his fingers along your ribs. You scowled at him, but he simply laughed and flipped you over onto your back, holding his weight above you.

Rob gazed down at you, brushing your hair out of your face with his finger tips before leaning in to kiss you. The kiss was lazy and sweet, and his morning erection was evident as he ground his hips into yours.

You pulled back and groaned. “You keep that up, babe, and we're going to miss breakfast.”

He leaned back down to start planting slow kisses along your jaw and down the side of your throat. You threaded your fingers into his hair as you gasped. You felt him chuckle against your skin before he lifted his head and looked at you with a playful look on his face. “Who said I had any intentions of making it to breakfast?”

You thought for a second, then pulled him back down for another kiss.

A bar food brunch at the venue would work, too.

\--------------------------------------------------

The two of you barely made it to the venue with enough time to grab a bite to eat before sound check. You were chatting quietly over your empty plates, waiting for the rest of the band to arrive. Neither of you registered the sound of the stage door opening until a familiar voice spoke up.

“Damn, Robbie. The guys told me you all had a cute new roadie on the tour with you. They failed to mention just how cute.”

You both turned to see Jason Manns leaned up against the door frame with his hands in his pockets. Rob grinned and shot out of his chair to greet him with a hug.

“Hey buddy! What are you doing here?”

Jason shrugged. “I was between my own gigs, got bored. Figured I would come out and help you guys close out the tour, if you’ll have me.”

“Always man, any time.”

Jason turned to you. “So, Rob, gonna introduce me to your new girl over there?”

Rob beckoned you over to join them. You ducked under his arm to slide yours around his waist. “Well, I guess I will start with her, since I believe she already knows who you are?” He looked down at you for confirmation, and you nodded.

Jason just looked confused. “How…?”

“Robbie there landed himself a fangirl.”

Stephen’s voice rang out from the stage. He shot you a playful grin before continuing. “Crazy rabid, that one. She’s been insufferable the whole tour.” He winked at you, then hopped down to greet Jason. “Seriously though, great to see you! Come on, we're just about to start sound check.”

\-------------------------------------------------

Sound check went smoothly. Jason graciously stepped aside for you to do Hallelujah with Rob, and was impressed with how well you knew his part. Surprisingly, your pure toned soprano voice blended beautifully with Rob’s gruffer baritone. Rob and Jason quickly picked out and rehearsed a couple of Station Breaks songs to add to the set list. You all took a break for a late lunch, during which the guys discussed and reorganized the list to open some space for the additional songs plus one or two of Jason’s solo songs.

The concert itself went just as smoothly. The crowd was thrilled with Jason’s surprise appearance, and the standing ovation that followed your duet with Rob made you blush. You enjoyed getting pushed back against the green room wall for a hot, steamy kiss by Rob even more.

And then, you finally got your moonlight stroll with Rob, away from the ruckus and chaos. This part of the Washington peninsula didn’t have a beach, so you contented yourselves with a walk down along the ferry docks. With it being so late, the area was pretty deserted. You finally found a spot where you could lean up against the rail and look out over the water, the moonlight shimmering off the small waves kicked up by the breeze. You sighed in contentment as Rob settled in beside you.

“I hope that was a good sigh?”

You looked over at him and smiled. “Yeah, it was.” You let your eyes linger over his face. You still weren’t sure just how you got so lucky as to get to be with him, but at least you were no longer questioning whether he was in it for the long haul. At least you still had a couple of days together before you both had to go your separate ways, at least for the moment.

The moment you registered that you ONLY had a couple of days left must have shown on your face, because Rob pushed off the railing to face you in concern. “Hey, are you ok?”

You shook your head, turning so your back was against the railing. “Rob, how are we ever going to make this work? With me in Portland and you in LA…”

“Hey now, baby girl, hey now.” He moved in front of you and cupped your face in his hands. “I don’t know just yet, but we’ll figure something out, yeah? Even if I have to come up to Portland, or fly you out to LA or a con somewhere, a few times a month? We’ll make this work, ok? I promise.” He gently kissed you on the forehead, the nose, and finally on the lips.

The kiss heated up pretty quickly once you started to respond and kiss him back. Your hands were holding tight to his hips, pinned in place as he placed his hands on the railing on either side of you and began to rut up against you, by the time he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against yours, both of you panting. Your head dropped back with a gasp, giving him room to nuzzle in behind your ear before nibbling his way along your throat. You cried out when he bit down at the juncture between your neck and shoulder, prompting him to clamp a hand over your mouth. “Shhh. Gotta keep quiet, pet. Don’t make me muzzle you. Wouldn’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”

Your eyes widened as you realized he had every intention of taking this all the way, out here, in the wide open, where anyone could see. Rob had put his glasses back on after the concert, and it sharply reminded you of the distinctly dominant man who had left you wet and trembling that very first night you joined the band. 

He watched your face for a moment, then smirked. “Well, well. So that excites you too, does it? Prevented from making a noise while you’re engaged in a little public exhibitionism? God damn it, girl. What did I ever do to deserve you?”

You could see him think for a moment before nodding to himself and reaching for his back pocket. “I had planned to save this for down the road, but now feels like a good time.”

He brought his hand back to the front, a slim length of leather coiled around his fist. He took your hand and passed the leather into your grasp. You took in the ring and buckle on one end, and looked up at him, confused. He smiled, and ran one finger along your collarbone, making you shiver. “Oh, you are going to be so much fun to play with, pet. So much fun.” 

Rob covered your hand holding the collar with his own and looked up to you. “There’s a couple of things you need to know before this goes any further. First, as you’ve probably already figured out for yourself, yes, the speculations are correct. I am something of a Dominant. Now, I’m not the typical make you sit at my feet and service me kind of Dom. But I do so enjoy seeing my collar around my girl’s neck and knowing she is completely, 100 percent mine to love and play with. And I obviously get my rocks off on accepting the gift of her submission to me.”

He paused to assess your reaction so far before continuing. “This next part is really the most important part. This collar only makes its way around your throat if and when YOU feel that YOU are ready for it, not before. You are also free to refuse to wear it any longer at any time you wish without repercussions. Above all else, accepting this is in absolutely no way, shape, or form a requirement of us being together, period. I will always love you and want you regardless.

“Finally. If you do someday do me the honor of accepting this, here is my commitment to you, and my expectations. I will never make you wear it outside the privacy of when we are alone together, unless you wish to, but unless and until you choose to revoke your overall consent to the collar, I will expect you to immediately comply if I wish for you to wear it when we are alone. Everything else is negotiable, to an extent. At some point when we’re not in a time crunch, we’ll sit down and hash out the specifics of our likes and limits. 

“At any time that you are physically wearing this, I will expect complete and total compliance to my demands from you, or you may face punishment. That being said, at all times, you alone retain the inalienable right to say no, and thus make me stop what we are doing, without repercussions. I only hold dominance over you because you choose to gift your submission to me, and you have the right to revoke that at any point you choose.

“I may try to push your limits at times, in the name of enhancing both our pleasure, but it is never my wish to make you uncomfortable with what we are doing. But you have the responsibility to communicate to me if and when that is happening. I will never be upset with you for asking me to pause or stop, but I will always be upset if I find out after the fact that you forced yourself to continue something simply because you thought it would make me happy. There is no point in doing something if you aren’t getting something out of it too.”

He moved his hand away, leaving you holding the collar. “If I haven’t completely scared you off yet, and you fully understand everything I have just told you, the ball is now in your court. Just remember that we can and will be together no matter what you decide.”

You looked down at the strip of leather in your hand. You uncoiled it, considering the ring and buckle, wrapping it around your hands a few times and pulling on it, getting to know it a little. You stroked your fingers along the length of it, imagining the feel of the cool, smooth leather against the sensitive skin of your throat. Making your decision, you held the collar out to Rob. He quietly accepted it back, and began to coil it up to be placed in his pocket.

“Hey, Missouri.” His gaze snapped back up to yours, and you smiled at him, tossing your hair back over your shoulder and lifting your chin, offering him your bare throat.

“You gonna put that collar on me or what?”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to save this until Friday, a full week after posting 19, but...
> 
> 1) It's basically a continuation of 19. This is the other chapter that, if you're not into the super hardcore kink thing, you can largely skip over and not lose the story line. If you do choose to continue, maybe peruse the updated tags before you do so.
> 
> 2) I have about 4 different things converging in my life right now, including but not limited to: writer's block, prepping for a con in Burbank, life in general, and an editing gig for a friend's project.
> 
> 3) SO!! Here you go. I promise, no cliffhanger this time. Love you all, and see you when I get back!

“Wait, what?”

“I said, are you going to put that collar around my throat or not… Sir.”

He stepped back into your space to cup your face with both hands and kiss you, long and deep, the collar still held in one hand. You took a sharp breath at the sensation of the leather brushing your cheek.

Rob broke the kiss just long enough to slide the collar around the base of your throat and fasten it. He checked to make sure it wasn’t too tight, then stroked it tenderly, brushing against your skin with his fingertips in the process. He smiled a little at the light moan it evoked from you. When you looked at him again, there was nothing but love and sheer adoration looking back at you.

You weren’t entirely prepared for him to hook a finger through the ring on the front of the collar and use it to pull you slightly forward. He ground his hips into you, pinning you to the railings as he slid his fingers into your hair and grabbed a fistful to roughly pull your head to the side. This gave him access to start working his way down your neck, punctuating his kisses and bites with words of “Oh, fuck, thank you, thank you, love you, such a good girl, my girl, thank you, my pet, fuck, I love you, thank you.”

You wanted to bask longer in his outpour of admiration, but you had more pressing matters. The combination of the pain in your scalp, his bites and the brush of his beard on your throat, and the way his hardness ground against your clit on every thrust had you right on the edge. “Rob…”

He stopped his attentions on your neck and looked at you. “Uh uh, baby girl. When that collar is on, you address me as Sir.”

“Sir…”

“Yes?" He ran his gaze down your body as he noticed you begin to tremble, and back up to see your eyes blown wide. You bit your lip at the predatory glint in his. “Oh, pet, are you about to come?” He smiled when you nodded. 

“Well, we can’t have that just yet, now can we?” He let go of your hair and collar, contenting himself with simply slipping his hands just under the hem of your shirt to lightly trace his fingertips over your skin, leaving you panting. Every so often, he ground his hips into your again, getting you worked up over and over only to never quite let you get too close.

Eventually, his hand slid up to toy with the front clasp of your bra, and you remembered just how out in the open you were.

“Sir, wait.”

Rob immediately paused and looked up at you in question.

“It’s just… really open here, and I'm not comfortable with that.”

A soft, pleased smile came across his face. “Oh, good girl, communicating with me so well. Ok." He dropped a kiss on your mouth and removed his hand from your shirt. Looking around, he found a shadowed corner where the seawall ran alongside a building before butting up against it. He took your hand. “Over here.”

Rob lead you over to the shadows, pressing you into the corner for a deep kiss. Pinning you to the wall with his hips, he ground into you as he slowly undid the buttons of your shirt. He popped the clasp on the front of your bra, spreading it and your shirt wide. You were left exposed to the cool air as he slid them down your arms and off. He brought your hands up to pin them to the wall over your head, and started to look you over, circling one nipple with his thumb until it came to a peak. You cried out as he suddenly pinched hard and pulled, forcing him to slap a hand over your mouth and admonish you. “Now, pet. If you truly don't want to get caught, you've gotta keep that pretty mouth of yours quiet, or you won't get to come. Think you can do that?”

You nodded, and he removed his hand. He thrust against you a couple more times before turning to contemplate the railing next to you. He let go of your wrists with an order to keep them there. Kneeling, he reached up under the skirt you wore for the show to slide your panties down your legs and off, stuffing them in his pocket. He rolled the front of your skirt up, tucking it into the waistband, and lifted your leg up and over the waist-high railing, leaving you spread wide open and completely exposed. Sitting back, he admired his handiwork. 

“Fuck you're beautiful. So willing to please, such a good girl for me. I am so damned lucky to have you.” You blushed under his praise. “As a reward for being so good, I am going to let you come. But you have to remain absolutely silent. One sound, and I will go back to teasing instead. Understood?”

You nodded, panting. “Yes Sir. I understand.”

“So, so good,” he cooed. He leaned forward, spreading your folds open to allow him space to lick a firm stripe up over your clit, leaving you biting your lip to remain silent. You looked down to see him looking back up at you approvingly. He kept his eyes locked on yours as he moved his free hand to slide two long fingers up into you as he licked at your clit again, chuckling as you buckled your hips into his mouth and dropped your head back against the wall in an effort not to come immediately. Bracing himself with a hand on the wall next to your hip, he went to work on your clit, gently suckling on it as he slid in and out of you, his fingers crooked forward to stroke along the bundle of nerves there on every thrust. He slowly and deliberately worked you higher and higher until you finally came, standing to kiss you to silence your cries, and letting you ride out your orgasm on his fingers against your clit.

“You never cease to amaze me, baby girl.” Rob removed his fingers from you and let you drop your arms, helping you work some of the soreness out before tilting your face up to his and giving you a gentle kiss. “One of these days, I will take the time to restrain you properly, see how long I can keep you on edge before we see how hard I can make you come. Right now though, I have neither the materials I would need nor the patience.”

He helped you lower your leg from the railing, turning you around to face the water and instructing you to brace yourself against the rail instead. He guided you back until your body was nearly parallel to the ground and nudged your feet wider apart, then lifted the back of your skirt up and over, leaving you completely exposed. “Close your eyes, don't move, wait here.”

He smoothed a hand down over your ass, and pulled away. Then you heard his footsteps retreating. Wait. Was he really going to just leave you like this? You wanted to call out to him, but didn't want to chance catching someone else's attention and getting caught essentially naked. Surprisingly, the fear of what might happen to you being left like this was starting to be edged out by arousal at the thought.

Your anxiety spiked a little at the sound of footsteps stopping at the corner of the building, but you relaxed when you recognized Rob's breathy “wow”. He walked up to you, running a hand down your back.

“You are so amazingly obedient. So good for me. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but I hope I continue to do it.”

He placed a kiss on your shoulder, then removed his hand. You heard a rustling just before your closed eyes were covered with a soft cloth. Then a click as Rob attached something to the ring on the front of your collar.

“Sir, what…?”

He chuckled. “I may have done a little bit of shopping earlier, picked up a few things just in case you agreed to my proposition. Had to run back to the car and grab them. You didn't really think I just carried random collars with me, did you?”

“N… no, Sir.”

You felt a few slight tugs on the collar, and realized that he had tied whatever he had attached to it to the railing you were braced against so you couldn't stand up.

“I have much better things at home, but these will work for us to play with for now. If we get into Seattle early enough, I know a shop there. You can pick out a nicer collar, and if you wish, something subtle that you can wear in your everyday life when we can't be together. And perhaps a toy or two. For the moment though…”

More rustling, then a much wider piece of leather touched your cheek. “You need to keep quiet so we don't get caught, and in this position, I can't just kiss you to stop your cries. I would like to muzzle you instead, if you consent to it.”

You could easily see his point, and nodded. “Yes Sir, you may.”

“Oh, such a good girl, pet. So good.” He positioned the wide strap so it covered your mouth completely, and buckled it behind your head. “I wish you could see how beautiful you look, all trussed up like this.”

You heard him dig through the bag again before he stepped back behind you, placing a few heavy objects on your back. You felt a cold metal object touch you just below your collar, and jumped a bit when it started to vibrate. Rob slowly drew the small vibrator down the center of your chest, down your belly, held it alongside your clit. You started rutting your hips into the sensation, trying find just the right spot that would let you come. Instead, he pulled it away and delivered two solid slaps to your ass with the palm of his hand. 

“None of that now, pet. Remember, I get to say when you come, not you.” He replaced it to your clit, then dipped it inside of you for a moment. It was too small to do much for you there, but you were thankful for the size when he removed it and placed it elsewhere, pressing just hard enough to breach your ass with the tip. The slick he had gathered from you lubricated the way as he worked the toy into you, the vibrations and small size allowing it to penetrate you without much discomfort. A flared base prevented it from disappearing inside you entirely. The vibrations were just enough to keep a low heat in your belly, but nothing more.

He smacked your ass again right on top of the toy, then slid his hands up your sides and down to cup your breasts. You groaned through the muzzle as he moved around beside you and started rolling one nipple between his fingers, occasionally pinching down and giving a small tug. You felt him pick up one of the items from your back. He made a final pull on your nipple, and held it outstretched. The next thing you felt was his fingers being replaced with a strong clamp. The initial pain eventually subsided, and the continuous pressure and the weight of the clamp pulling down sent waves of pleasure through you straight to your core. He moved to your other side and repeated the process.

By now, you were moaning around the muzzle, rolling your hips with renewed arousal, but there was nothing but thin air to try to get friction on. You heard a zipper and cloth moving around, then Rob stepped up behind you, as naked as you were. He pleasured himself for a moment by rutting against your ass, the shifting vibrations causing you both to gasp. He nudged your feet even farther apart. You felt the sting of his hand on your ass once, twice, right on top of the toy, before stepping back and reaching between your legs to deliver a few lighter slaps directly on your clit.

It was all you could do at this point to just pant heavily and try not to come until you were told to. You barely registered him picking up the last item from your back until you heard the buzz. He touched it to your back, letting it help relieve some of the tension that had built up in your shoulders from holding your position for so long. You jumped when he slid it down your ribs and along the side of your breast to press it lightly where the clamp squeezed your flesh. He smoothed a hand around your other side and gave the clamp there a gentle tug at the same time. The simultaneous sensations on top of the arousal you already felt were starting to fog your mind until touch was all you could process. 

You sighed when he returned the vibrator to your back and started sliding it down along your spine. Just as he reached the base of the one in your ass, you heard the click of a button and the vibrations increased in intensity. He pressed it against the toy there, shooting stronger vibrations into you. After a moment, he moved it over to one cheek and down to dip into you, holding it just inside you as he bumped the intensity again. You tried to move back against it, to get what you needed to finally come, but as soon as you started to tremble with your impending orgasm, he removed it and slapped your ass again, reminding you who was in charge as you let out a sob.

Rob smoothed his free hand up and down your back as he gave you time to come down. He eventually reached around your hip and held the vibrator against you so it just barely touched your clit. You knew better now than to move, so you simply held still. You were starting to get overwhelmingly overstimulated at this point, but with your mouth covered, you couldn't speak up. 

Rob's attention was caught as you started clawing at the muzzle, desperate to have it off. He immediately shut the vibrator off and set it down so he could move to unbuckle the leather strap and remove it from your face. Unclipping the restraint holding you down, he pulled you to him, smoothing a hand over you hair and murmuring comfort in your ear until your sobbing quieted and you stopped trembling. 

“Please Sir, the blindfold too.”

He reached up and slipped the blindfold off, using the fabric to gently dab the remaining tears from your face as you blinked your eyes open and tried to refocus your sight. He carefully removed the clamps from your breasts, and reached around to turn off and remove the vibrator from behind you, dropping everything back into the plastic bag at his feet to be cleaned later.

“Now talk to me, love, what happened?”

“Too much, it was just all too much.”

Rob sighed and pulled you back against his chest. “And that is my fault. I got excited and pushed too fast, too soon, when I should have taken the time over days or even weeks to acclimate your body to take that much stimulation. For that, I am sorry. I should have also made sure you had a way to communicate with me despite your muzzle, so that it didn't reach this point. And for that, I am also sorry. It was irresponsible of me to put you in that position.”

He lifted your face to look at him, and softly kissed you. Then he brushed your hair to the side, working to unbuckle your collar and remove it, placing it on the ground with everything else. He cupped your face with both hands and kissed you in an effort to quell the panic written in your features.

“Hey, no, it's ok. I am not taking it away from you, simply equalizing the power dynamic for the moment. I've apologized to you as your Dominant, but you also deserve to have me apologize as simply your boyfriend, and I cannot do that with your collar demanding your obedience.”

He stroked your cheek with his thumb. “Now, I would still like to make love to you, here, in this moment. But I fully understand if you would prefer to take this somewhere more comfortable, or even call it off altogether for the night.”

You shook your head. “No, I want to finish this out here, where we started.” You scooped the larger vibrator up from the shirt it lay on, and led him over to lean back against the wall. Taking hold of his cock with your hand, you worked him back to full hardness before kneeling down in front of him, then licked him from base to tip in an effort to silence his protests.

“Baby girl, no, you don't have to…”

“I know.” You placed one hand on his thigh and looked up at him. “I want to.”

He could only gasp, then moan, as you took him in your mouth and pressed forward as far as you could, relaxing your jaw to take him down your throat until your nose was buried in the coarse hairs at the base of his cock. He buried one hand in your hair, but was careful to allow you to control your own movements. 

As you swallowed around him and pulled back to swirl your tongue around his tip, you turned the vibrator on to the lowest setting and slipped it part way inside you. Rob looked down as you moaned and shifted to see you with your hand between your legs, the low buzz telling him what you held.

“Oh fuck, babe. Fuck.” His eyes squeezed shut and he dropped his head back against the wall as you took him down your throat and swallowed around him again. 

You shifted to spread your knees wider apart, giving yourself space to bring the vibrator up to circle your clit, being careful to only arouse yourself at the same speed as Rob.

You were soon trembling on the verge of your climax, before Rob nudged your hand from between your legs with his foot and pulled you up to stand. He spun you around so you were the one with your back to the wall, taking the vibrator from you with one hand and pulling one leg up over his elbow with the other, spreading you wide open. Pressing the tip of his cock to your entrance, he looked you in the eye. “I want to be inside you when you come,” he whispered as he thrust into you in one smooth movement. He began moving in and out of you, grinding into you on the slower movements, slowly speeding up until he was slamming into you on every thrust. 

You could only throw your arms around his shoulders and hold on tightly as he moved against you, burying your face in his neck as he whispered filth in your ear. As his thrusts started to falter, he turned the vibrator as high as it would go and pressed it to your clit.

“Come with me, baby, please come with me.” Your inner muscles tightened around him as the intensity of the vibrations pushed you towards orgasm almost immediately. A few more thrusts, and he slammed into you and held himself there as he came. The vibrator was pinned between you, pressed mercilessly against your clit, and the stimulation and the feel of him pulsing inside of you made you come, hard. He started slowly thrusting in and out, riding out your orgasm with you, until you both slumped against each other in exhaustion. 

“Oh fuck, babe, that was amazing. You're amazing. I love you so much.” He leaned down to kiss you, reaching between you to remove the toy and shut it off. “C'mon. Let's get dressed and gather stuff up, and head back to the hotel. I want to get you into a warm bath and work some more of that strain out of your muscles.

You smiled in agreement. “That sounds like a great idea.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I guess this went from a semi-slow burn romance piece to a slow burn Dom/sub piece. Not where I intended to take it, but it seems to be going there anyways. Oomph, whatever. Just fair warning.

Saying goodbye sucked.

Rob held you close, one arm around your back and the other hand cupping the back of your head. All you could do was wrap your arms around his waist and bury your face in the crook of his neck, and try not to sob uncontrollably. 

“Hey, baby girl, hey.” He shifted so he could tuck a knuckle under your chin and tip your face up to look at him. “Hey, I promised, remember? Even if I have to schedule us a few gigs in Portland or fly you down to LA or out to a con somewhere, we’ll see each other as often as possible, yeah?” 

He released your face to run a finger along the delicate chain around your throat. He had made good on his word to stop by the adult shop in Seattle yesterday. Besides the gorgeous matching set of black leather collar and cuffs with velvet padding that matched his eyes perfectly, currently tucked safely away in his suitcase with a couple of other toys you’d picked out to try, the two of you had settled on a white gold heart shaped lock pendant for you to wear when you couldn’t wear your collar. The matching key pendant dangled from its chain at the base of his throat. 

“You’re mine now, remember that. I don’t let go easily of what’s mine. We WILL make time to see each other, ok?” He cupped your face in his hands and placed a lingering, gentle kiss on your lips as the gate attendant announced the final boarding call for his flight. “I love you. Call me when you get home so I know you made it safely.”

“I love you too.” You stepped back so he could grab his carry on, holding onto his hand for as long as possible until he had to pull out of your grasp to walk down the ramp to the plane. You managed to hold in the tears as you waited for the ramp to pull back, the plane to be pushed away from the gate, and for it to taxi away from the terminal. You watched the status board until his flight was labelled as departed, then made the trek back to your car in the parking garage. You barely made it into your seat behind the wheel and shut the door before the quiet interior of the car was filled with your sobs.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------

You finally walked in the door at home with your suitcase in tow. Hauling everything back to your room, you shut the door before piling everything in the corner to deal with later. You checked the time, and opted to text Rob that you were home instead of calling him, since his flight was probably still in the air. Message sent, you stripped down to your t-shirt and underwear, and curled up on top of the sheets. You were asleep within minutes of closing your eyes.

Your ringing phone woke you a couple of hours later. You reached out with your eyes still closed, slapping the bed a couple of times before your hand made contact with the annoyance. Pulling it towards you, you cracked one eye open and smiled when you saw Rob’s name on the caller ID. 

“Hey babe! Get home safe then?”

“I did. Gods, I already miss you so much. Hang up, I'm going to Facetime you, ok?”

You nodded and hung up, rolling over onto your stomach and propping yourself up on your elbows just in time to answer his call. A content smile spread across your face when his finally came on the screen.

“Hey beautiful. How did the trip home treat you?”

You sighed. “Kinda sucked really. I've gotten so used to having you and the guys in the car with me, so it was way too quiet. Then just missing you in general. Please tell me we can set a date for the next time we'll see each other again?”

“Before we hang up here, I promise.” He smiled. “Where's your bag? I left you something.”

You scrambled to go grab your suitcase, and laid it out on the foot of the bed. At Rob's instruction, you propped your phone up on the dresser where he had full view of the bed and your reaction. Unzipping the suitcase, you found a small package wrapped in brown paper nestled in amongst the top layer of your clothes.

“When did you…?”

“Shh. We can talk about that later. Just open it.”

You found a loose corner and carefully pulled the paper open, revealing a beautifully carved wooden box. “Rob, this is gorgeous!”

“Keep going.”

You flipped the top of the box open and gasped, your gaze flying up to see him grinning at your reaction. Nestled in the box was an exact duplicate of the collar and cuffs you had watched him pack away into his suitcase just that morning. “Rob, how…?”

“I may have had them box those up special when your back was turned. Don't worry, I still have the first set here, so you can leave those safely at home when you travel to see me, and those are there when I come to you. As for when, when I took our bags to the car while you finished getting ready. Now, there should be one more gift in your suitcase. Grab it, and set the suitcase aside.”

You sifted through the bag til you found a small tissue wrapped item. Setting it down for the moment, you zipped the suitcase up and returned it to its place by the door. You walked back to the bed and picked the package up again.

“Take that and your box and go change,” Rob commanded. “When you come back, I want you wearing ONLY those items, nothing else. You may remove your necklace and store it in the box for now. Make sure you bring the box back out with you.”

You took everything into the bathroom. Opening the package, you found a pair of sheer lace panties. The front and back tied together at the sides with satin ribbon the same royal blue color as the lace. You stripped off the clothes you slept in and slid the panties on. Removing the collar and cuffs from their box, you removed your necklace and put it in their place for safe keeping. First one cuff, then the other, then you buckled the collar around your throat. You took a moment to look yourself over in the mirror, completely bare aside from the collar, cuffs, and panties.

Walking back into the bedroom, you didn't even realize you had moved to cover yourself until you heard Rob. “Hey now, no hiding, not from me.” You moved your arms and heard his sharp intake of breath. “Damn, I cannot wait to take those off of you next time I see you. Now, come kneel on the bed where I can see you.”

Placing the box up by your pillows, you settled into your knees on the bed, putting your arms up over your head and stretching your whole body up, showing off a little before settling back on your heels.

“Feeling a bit frisky there, pet? How about this? I know how you enjoy a bit of constriction. I want you to tighten everything down one more notch. Two on the collar, if you can without cutting off your breathing.”

You did as he asked. The padding was soft and thick enough to ensure the blood flow to your hands wasn't cut off. You tightened the collar one notch, waited to see how it felt, then took it down to the second notch and buckled it. You could still breathe just fine, but the tight pressure around your throat reminded you of having his hand there, firmly holding you down, and your breathing quickened as the first stirrings of arousal settled low in your belly.

Rob smirked at the look in your eyes when you looked back up at him. “Oh, is my girl turned on?” he cooed. You nodded. “Lay down, stretch out with your hands over your head. Let me look at you.” He looked you over as you settled into place. “I am so fucking lucky. Want to play a bit, pet?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good girl. There's a small compartment under the bottom lining in the box. Open it.”

You rolled over and nudged your necklace and the box lining aside, then grinned. In the compartment was a small bullet vibrator. You pulled it out and set the box back to the side, looking to Rob for further instruction. 

“Lay back down so I can see all of you with your knees up and spread.” You turned on the bed and spread out as you were told, giving him full view of everything. “Good girl. I want to work on your endurance a little, but first. I know it's been a few days, and you've been so good, so I'm going to let you take the first edge off. Leave the panties on for now. Turn the vibrator up to the highest setting, and use it. But touch only your clit, nothing else. I want to see how fast you can get yourself off with only that stimulus.”

You swallowed hard, knowing he knew how intensely you could come from that. “Yes sir.” You ramped the vibrator up to full speed, slid your hands down into your panties, and pressed the end of it firmly against your clit.

You arched your back with a cry at that first touch, dropping to a moan as you settled back down into the bed to grind down against the toy. You were already so turned on, this wasn't going to take long at all. You heard an answering groan, and looked over to see Rob had set his phone up and sat down across from it. He had stripped down to nothing and was leisurely rubbing himself at your display. He spoke again when he noticed you looking at him.

“You are close, aren't you?” You could only nod, panting. “Go ahead and come for me baby girl. And I want my name on your lips when you do. But you do NOT remove that vibrator from your clit until I tell you to. Doing so will result in punishment. Understand?” He accepted your nod and started stroking himself more firmly. “Now, pet. Come now!”

You found the most sensitive place on your clit and pressed the vibrator to it and held it there. That was all it took for you to come, calling his name, doing your best to keep the vibrator in place as you bucked your hips under the stimulation. You held out as long as you could, but you soon found yourself begging for permission to stop. “Sir, please! Please may I stop? Please, Rob!”

You looked over to see if he'd heard you just in time to see him double over forwards as he came. “Good girl, well done pet,” he panted. “Yes, you may stop. You did well.”

All you had left in you was to drop the still running vibrator to the bed between your legs and roll over to your stomach and wait for the tremors to stop.

As your breathing returned to normal, you heard Rob call your name. “You ok over there, baby girl?”

You looked up and gave him a lazy smile. “Just fine, sir.”

He chuckled. “Good girl. Shut off your vibrator and set it aside, within reach. Ready for the next?”

“Yes sir.”

“Take a moment to stretch before you get up. Then I want you to take your cuffs off. The collar still ok?” You nodded. “Good, cause I love how tight that is around your throat. We may have to try some actual breathplay next time we're together, if you're up for it. Roll back over so I can see everything you are doing again. Panties off this time. Strap the cuffs around your ankles and spread your legs as wide as you can, like I have tied them there, and keep them there, no matter what.”

You followed his directions and positioned yourself as told. He paused to look you over, and scowled slightly.

“Is something wrong, sir?”

He nodded. “Nothing that's your fault, pet.” He considered the situation a moment longer, then smiled. “Grab a couple of those pillows, put them under your hips.”

You moved the pillows over and stacked them, then laid back down over them again and put your feet back in place, feeling even more on display.  
“Oh, much better,” he breathed out, and you relaxed, resting one hand on your belly and the other on the bed over your head.

“Ok pet. Two fingers inside of yourself, give yourself a couple of good thrusts, then slide them up over your clit. There you go. That's my tongue, tasting everything you just gave me.” You closed your eyes and relaxed into the fantasy. “Good girl. Keep that hand working, in, out, over, and back, slowly. Don't work yourself up too fast, I want you to slowly take yourself apart bit by bit, just like I would. Yes.” 

He continued to direct you, instructing you on where he wanted your other hand, when to speed up or slow down with the hand between your legs, until you were thrashing your head from side to side and moaning loudly, desperately trying to obey his repeated commands not to come. Finally, “Sir, I'm so close. I'm going to come. Sir, please! I… I…”

“Stop! Hands over your head!”

You obeyed, whimpering and thrusting your hips against the air. He whispered praises as you slowly came down from the edge. “Oh, good girl. You are so fucking beautiful. Still ok?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Fuck, I can see how wet and desperate you are from here. Both hands on your breasts, get yourself worked up again. Get as rough with your nipples as you can stand, until I tell you to stop. Damn, I wish you had some clothespins in reach. Next time.” 

He watched as you started moaning again, the pinch of pain a sweet counterpoint to your rising arousal. He returned to narrating the fantasy, eventually directing your hands back between your legs.

“Use one hand to spread yourself as wide open as you can. Oh, fuck, you're amazing. Other hand, dip just the end of one finger into yourself, thrust it in and out for just a moment so I can watch. There you go. Fuck, yes. Now circle it up around your clit. Don't actually touch it, just right around it, just teasing yourself. Good. Now, when I tell you to, I want a gentle but firm slap, right on your clit. Ready? Slap!”

You cried out at the pain, then moaned as the lingering sting ratcheted your arousal up for a moment. He talked you through more of this, occasionally telling you to abuse your nipples again to keep the throb there going, slowly using the bits of pain to bring you higher, until you were squirming and begging again.

“Ok, here we go. Touch yourself, bring yourself just below the edge. Then I want three solid slaps, and both hands immediately to your nipples, pinching as hard as you can. Got it? Go.”

You rubbed your abused clit as fast as you could, bringing yourself higher until you were just about there before delivering the hardest slaps yet then pinching down hard on your nipples. You found yourself hovering just on the far edge of the crest, the pain factor preventing you from actually coming. Rob finally gave you the word to move your hands over your head as he talked you down with more praise. It took longer this time, and you desperately wanted to close your legs, but managed to keep them in place. Halfway through your recovery though, he instructed you to turn the vibrator on low and slide it into you. It wasn't enough to work you up again, but it did keep you from coming any further down, and you heard his breath growing heavy. You looked at him to see him fisting himself again, keeping himself in the same state of arousal that he was keeping you in. Somehow, knowing he was sharing in this made it easier to manage.

“Just one more baby girl. You've been so good so far, just one more time. Adjust those pillows back into place for me.” You groaned as the movement pressed the vibrator against highly sensitive places inside you. You finally got things resituated. “Ok, your choice here. Touch yourself as you wish, but bring yourself to the edge as slowly as you possibly can, and don't come until I tell you to.”

You moved between fingerfucking yourself, rubbing your clit, and playing with your nipples, pausing occasionally when you felt yourself cresting too fast. Finally you hit that threshold between arousal and sensitivity, and one tear rolled down your face as you whimpered Rob’s name.

“Oh, fuck, you are such a perfect, good, beautiful girl, my amazing pet. I promised you that you would get to come, and now you can. Push as many fingers into yourself as you can. Oh, so good for me. If I was there right now, I would be fucking you as hard as I could until we both exploded. You'll have to do it for me. Go. Fuck yourself as hard as you can with those fingers.”

You followed his command, holding yourself open to allow maximum contact between your hand and your clit as you pounded into yourself. The vibrations from the toy still inside of you mingled with the hits to your clit and the stretch you felt to make you come harder than you had in a long time. Rob praised you as best as his ragged breathing allowed until he came again, his cries mixing with your own. He talked you down, telling you to remove the toy and pillows and relax for a moment.

Once your breath leveled out, he had you slowly sit up for a moment to get your legs under you, then sent you into the bathroom for a glass of water. You came back and sat back on the bed, wrapping a soft blanket around your shoulders as you drank your water and chatted a bit more with Rob. Once he was sure you weren't going to drop, he let you curl up under the sheets, and quietly spoke praises to you until you fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems only fitting that I post the final chapter of this saga today, one year to the day from when we set out on this journey. I cannot express how much it means to me that so many of you stuck with this story and loved it enough to follow til the end. Thank you to all.
> 
> And now, the conclusion.

And so it continued over the next couple of months. Between your work schedule, your kid’s school and activity schedule, and Rob’s filming and recording with the band, there was never a good time for either of you to get away to visit the other in person.

Thankfully, the two of you were able to either talk on the phone or sometimes even Skype most days. Sometimes you played around, especially when you had a couple of hours free during a video call. But your favorite was the times you were able to just lay back and talk with him, getting to know each other better. These often ran late into the night, and more than once, one or the other of you would fall asleep listening to the other talk. You would tell him about the latest antics your daughter had gotten up to, and he’d talk about his life growing up in Missouri.

So what happened during your next Skype session with him caught you completely unaware.

Over the months, you’d accumulated a small collection of toys, usually either something you found that you wanted to tease Rob with, or something he’d send you to show off for him with. Tonight you were face down on the mattress with your ass in the air towards the camera, slowly fucking yourself with the new toy you’d picked up that afternoon, as Rob dictated how fast and how hard. He’d been making you tease yourself for awhile and you were at the point of begging him to let you come.

“No. Fuck, baby girl, stop. Just, stop.”

You paused. That wasn’t a tone of voice you’d ever heard from him before. Withdrawing the toy, you turned to look at him on the screen. He was sitting forward on his couch in LA, his arms resting on his knees with his head bowed. “Rob? Babe, what’s going on?”

He rubbed his hands over his face and looked up at you, shaking his face. “I… I’m sorry, baby girl. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t. I miss you too much. I’m sorry.”

“Wait, what? I… Rob!” You stopped short as you saw him lean forward and end the call. “Rob?!” You dove for your phone and frantically tried to call him back, but your calls kept going to voicemail. 

You sat there, trying to process what had just happened. What HAD just happened? Your mind raced through the possible scenarios, each worse than the last, until you dropped your phone to the bed and ran to the bathroom to succumb to the food poisoning you’d been fighting for a week and a half now. Flushing the toilet, you swished some water to rinse your mouth out and grabbed a cool cloth to clean your face with. You looked in the mirror, your eyes rimmed red from getting sick and from crying. 

Gods, the least he could have done is come and broken up with you in person, or at least explained himself rather than running like a coward. Sure you’d been a little extra emotional lately, and it looked like you’d put on a pound or two, but you’d never pegged Rob for the vain type that had to have his girl be perfect all the time.

Furious now, you walked back into your room and ripped the cuffs from your wrists, throwing them in the corner. Your collar followed soon after. You crossed over to your dresser, pulling out your coziest pajamas and putting them on. You reached for the top of the dresser to grab your necklace out of habit, then caught yourself. No, not anymore. You’d pack it up and send it back to him in the morning.

For now, though, you just crawled into your bed and wrapped up in your blankets, and quietly sobbed yourself to sleep.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

An incessant pounding at your door several hours later woke you from a dead sleep. You groaned and rolled over, your stomach churning. Whoever it was could just fuck off, cause if you got out of bed right now you were going to puke yet again.

You had just started to drift back off when the pounding happened again. This time though, you heard your name being called out. Wait, was that…? You paused, listening to the voice call your name again. Recognizing it, you climbed out of bed and ran for the door, throwing the locks and opening it as fast as you could.

You weren’t sure whether to be elated or enraged when you saw Rob standing on your doorstep. Even still wearing the clothes he’d been in during your video call and looking exhausted, he still managed to take your breath away. 

“Oh, god, baby girl, there you are.” Before you could wrap your head around him being there, he pushed his way into the house, taking your face in his hands as he kicked the door shut behind him and pulling you in for a deep kiss. He started to speak, punctuating his words with kisses as he backed you up against the nearest wall. “Fuck. I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to see you.” *kiss* “I had to kiss you.” *kiss* “I had to touch you.” 

You finally snapped out of it as you felt his hand start to slide up under your shirt, and you shoved him away in rage.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Rob!”

He let out a little “oomph” as he hit the wall on the other side of the hallway, giving you a puzzled look. “I… what?” His gaze traveled down over your face and zeroed in at the base of your throat. “You’re… you’re not wearing your necklace.”

You could just barely catch a glint of the dim light reflecting off of his. “You broke up with me, over a video call no less, you asshole. Of course I’m not wearing it. I was going to pack it and the cuffs and collar up and ship them back to you in the morning. But I guess since you’re here, you can just take them with you. I’ll go grab them so you can leave.”

You turned to go, but were stopped short when he grabbed your arm, pulling you back. His eyes searched your face as he asked, “Wait, I what?” You knew from the look on his face that he was thinking back over that last call. You also knew when it finally clicked with him when you saw his face fall. “Oh, baby girl, no. No!” He pulled you into his chest and wrapped his arms around you, resting his chin on your head.

“I can see how that’s how it came across, but babe, no. Never. I wasn’t breaking up with you. I just couldn’t go another moment without seeing you for real, being able to touch you. I’m so, so sorry.” 

“Rob, I…” Suddenly your stomach flipped, and you barely saw his look of confusion as you shoved away from him again and bolted down the hallway. You could hear him running after you as you hit your knees and emptied the non-existent contents of your stomach into the toilet yet again. Unlike the other times, though, this time you felt Rob’s cool, calloused fingertips brushing your hair back and holding it out of the way as your retched. This time it was his hand holding the damp cloth as it wiped away the sweat and the gross from your face and mouth, and his hand offering you the glass of water to rinse with.

When you felt a little steadier, you accepted his help up and let him guide you into your room to sit on the edge of your bed. He crouched down in front of you and tucked a stray lock of hair back behind your ear out of the way. “You ok?”

You nodded. “Yeah, just a brutal case of food poisoning. Been battling it for over a week now. Knew I should have skipped the sushi.”

He frowned. “Babe, I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure food poisoning doesn’t drop you for that long.” His gaze flicked down for a moment, and he reached out a hand to place it on your upper thigh before looking back up at you. “We weren’t exactly careful that week we were together. Is there any chance…?”

It took a moment for it to click what he was asking, then another for your brain to crunch through the math and realize that you hadn’t had your period since you got home from Seattle. You stared at him in fear and shock. “Oh, oh god. Rob, I… Fuck…”

Rob saw you starting to panic over the realization and gathered you close again, holding you tight as you began to sob and apologize. “Shhh, no, baby girl, no. There is nothing to apologize for, hmm? It’s ok. It’ll be ok.” He dropped a kiss on top of your head before pulling back and standing up. “Hey, wait here a sec.”

“Rob?!” You watched as he started to walk out of the room.

“It’s ok, I’ll be right back.” He jogged down the hall, and you could hear him rustling through his coat that he’d dropped in the entryway when he came in. Before long, he came back in and knelt down in front of you. “Thankfully, I’d already planned to do this. Actually, it’s the whole reason I came up.”

He cupped your face with one hand. “That night that we called you to help us out, I figured that at best, we’d get somebody who wasn’t a total shrieking psycho. Instead, I found somebody whose heart and soul spoke the same language as mine. I don’t know how I survived the last two months not being at your side, and I know we’ve skipped a lot of steps in this, like introducing me to your daughter, although I have no doubt that I will love her just as much as I love her mama, and as much as I already love this little one.” His other hand came up, and you looked down to see the small open box in his hand, the top half of a ring peeking out from the velvet padding. Your eyes flew back up to meet his. “Please. Just, say you’ll marry me, and we’ll figure out the rest as we go.”

You stared at him for a long while, until his expression grew uncertain, before launching yourself towards him and pushing him back onto the floor. He landed on his back with you straddling his hips, and you bent down to kiss him deeply, only coming up when you needed to catch your breath. You rested your weight on your hands on either side of his head, your face still close to his, and looked into those blue eyes you’d come to love so much. “Hey there, Missouri.”

He chuckled. “Well, hey there yourself, Portland. Can I take that as a yes then?”

You smiled and nodded. “Yeah. That’s a yes.”

“Oh thank god.” He surged up to sit with you in his lap, kissing you like his life depended on it. He paused only to take the ring out of its box and slide it onto your finger, then gently flipped you over onto your back to kiss you again, one hand already working at undoing the buttons at the front of your pajama shirt.


End file.
